Bibliography of Autobiography, Memoir and Reminiscence Literature For

You don't have the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.

Please update your flash player.

Please login or register to make a comment!

Bibliography of Autobiography, Memoir and Reminiscence Literature For Use by Scholars, Students and Practitioners Prepared July, 2008 By James E. Birren, PhD and Anita C. Reyes, MS Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center University of Southern California Los Angeles, California 90089-0191 2 3 PURPOSE The purpose of this bibliography is to provide scholars, students and practitioners with a list of references to the literature on autobiography, memoir, reminiscence, and related topics.

It was thought to be of use in an era of growing awareness of the significance of telling, sharing, and studying life stories. The literature is growing rapidly since it reflects activities in several scholarly disciplines, areas of research, and fields of practice. Because of the vast scope of the topics, this bibliography should not be regarded as all encompassing or definitive.

In particular the included list of individually written autobiographies is limited. Thousands of individual autobiographies have been written and published. In contrast, although the research literature is growing, it is relatively small compared with the number of published autobiographies and memoirs.

No attempt has been made to provide abstracts of individual articles although brief descriptions of books are included. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS BOOKS Autobiography and Biography: Historical Perspectives . .

. ... more. less.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Autobiographical, Reminiscence, and Memoir Methods: Group Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 I ndividual Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 BOOKS Autobiography and Biography: Historical Perspectives Boring, E. (Ed.) (1952). A history of psychology in autobiography, Vol. IV. New York: Russell & Russell. This is a continuation of the three-volume set done in the 1930s. The volume contains personal and professional autobiographies of psychologists, including Piaget. Bottrau, M. (1958). Every man a phoenix: Studies in 17 th century autobiography. London: William Clowes & Sons. The author discusses the differences between autobiography and journaling and profiles the 17 th century literary man. Specific examples include Brawne, Lord Herbert of Cherbury, John Bunyan and Richard Baxter. Other topics cover historical considerations and ideas prevalent in the 17 th century as these relate to the development of autobiography. 7 Burr, A.R. (1909). The autobiography: A critical and comparative study. New York: Houghton Mifflin. This study of autobiography discusses autobiographies as literary form, as well as such issues as sincerity, history, influence, humor, self-esteem, work, memory and religion. It covers the reasons why famous people wrote autobiographies; these are grouped by historical era. Butler, R.A. (1967). The difficult art of autobiography (The Romanes Lecture). Oxford: At the Clarendon Press. Richard Austin Butler (1902-1982) was a British politician who presented this Romanes Lecture at a prestigious free public event given annually at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford. Butterfield, S. (1974). Black autobiography in America. Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. This book contains analyses of major African American autobiographies, including those of Richard Wright and Maya Angelou. It discusses slave narratives, white influence, search for a social role and African American militantism. Clark, A.M. (1935). Autobiography: Its genesis and phases. London, England: Oliver & Boyd. In this essay, the author reviews the reasons for writing an autobiography, the validity of the product and its historical appearance. Clifford, J.L. (Ed.) (1962). Biography as an art: Selected criticism 1560-1960. Oxford: The Oxford Press. A great collection of essays dealing with the art of biography. Crossman, R. (1950). The god that failed. New York: Bantam Books. This work provides the historical background and political autobiographies of six men who all converted to communism and were later disillusioned by it. They include Richard Wright, Arthur Koesner, Ignazio Silonz, Andre Gide, Louis Fischer and Stephen Spender. Delaney, P. (1969). British autobiography in the 17 th century. New York: Columbia University Press. This book deals with several important aspects: religions, autobiography, secular autobiographies, female autobiographies, the Renaissance and the rise of autobiography. Dornbusch, C.E. (Ed.) (1961). Regimental publications and personal narratives of the Civil War. New York: New York Public Library. Annotated bibliography of military publications and autobiographies dealing with the Civil War and grouped by state. Dunn, W.H. (1916). English biography. New York: Dutton. This book contains two good chapters on the history of autobiography in the 18 th and 19 th centuries in England. Edel, L. (1957). Literary biography. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 8 The book contains a series of lectures delivered at the University of Toronto by Dr. Leon Edel. Dr. Edel was a professor in the Department of English at New York University and the well-known biographer and editor of Henry James. In this book he describes the aims, problems and techniques of biography. Erikson, E.H. (1963). cThe legend of Hitler 9s childhood d; cThe legend of Maxim Gorky 9s youth d (Chs. 9 and 10) in Childhood in society (2 nd edition). W.W. Norton. Erikson describes the childhood of Adolph Hitler and the youth of Maxim Gorky. Forbes, H.M. (1967). New England diaries 1602-1800. New York: Russell. This is an annotated catalogue of diaries, orderly books and sea journals. Fotherqill, R.A. (1974). Private chronicles: A study of English diaries. London, England: Oxford University. Topics include: historical perspectives, diary as literature, motive, manner, style, tone, self- projection, ego, ideal and forms of serial autobiography. Garraty, J. (1957). The nature of biography. New York: Knopf. A thoughtful guide to writing the lives of others. Howe, M.A. & Lewis, R.E. (1971). The Negro collection. St. Clair Shores, MI: Michigan Scholarly Press. This book covers the Negro in America and the Negro in Africa. It contains every aspect of life and all different types of writings, including autobiographies. Also includes autobiographies and memoirs of anti-slavery leaders. Jacobs, S.E. (1974). Women in perspective: A guide to cross-cultural studies. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press. This is a reference work for women 9s autobiographies. It contains a section listing women 9s biographies and autobiographies among other topics including sexuality, prostitution, women in war and many others. Jones, H.M. & Ludwig, R.M. (1972). Guide to American literature and its backgrounds since 1890. Boston, MA: Harvard University Press. This work contains a three-page listing of a sampling of American autobiographies, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Lillian Hellman, Woody Guthrie, Norman Mailer, Groucho Marx, Ernie Pyle, Dwight D. Eisenhower and others. Kaplan, L. (1961). A bibliography of American autobiographies. Madison, WI: Wisconsin University Press. A subject index classifies the books (up to 1946) according to occupation, place of residence and connection to historical events of the subjects. Kendall, P.M. (1965). The art of biography. New York: W.W. Norton & Co. The author was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for this book in which he describes the art of biography by looking at both the history of the genre and literary criticism. The book focuses mainly on the Middle Ages. 9 Lejeune, P. (1989). On autobiography: Theory and history of literature. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press. Encompassing classical masterworks, popular literature, how-to manuals, the painted self- portrait, and oral as well as written narratives, Lejeune makes a bold case for autobiography as a privileged source for the understanding of social and cultural history. Lillard, R. G. (1956). American life in autobiography. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. This book contains an annotated bibliography of American autobiographies categorized according to occupations and lifestyles. It also has a good introduction to the particular genre of autobiography. Major, J.C. (1935). The role of personal memoirs in English biography and the novel. Philadephia, PA: Publisher Unknown. This book includes a discussion of many types of memoirs, especially political, military and other public life vocations. Mathews, W. (1968). British autobiographies: An annotated bibliography of British autobiographies published before 1951. Hamden: Anchon Press. This is an extensive listing containing many celebrities by profession. Mathews, W. (1950). British diaries: An annotated bibliography of British diaries written between 1442 and 1942. California: U.C. Press. This bibliography, organized chronologically, gives the diarist 9s occupation, type of diary (domestic, public, etc.) plus a brief summary of contents (travel, historical notes, illnesses, sea diaries, etc.) Mathews, W. & Rader, R. (1973). Autobiography, biography and the novel. Los Angeles: UCLA Wm. Andres Clark Memorial Library. This work contains a 28-page essay, cSeventeenth-Century Autobiography, d by Mathews and deals almost exclusively with British autobiographies. Interesting facts: A bibliography compiled in 1955 lists almost 7,000 autobiographies in Britain alone. Ninety percent were written in the 19 th and 20 th centuries. About 400 were written in the 18 th century, 200 in the 17 th and only a dozen before then. Clearly, English autobiography then has its roots in the 17 th century. Maurois, A. (1929). Aspects of biography. New York: D. Appleton & Co. French biographer, novelist and essayist Andre Maurois (1885-1967) reviews dimensions and issues of autobiography and discusses good vs. bad examples. Mehlman, J. (1971). A structural study of autobiography: Proust, Leiris, Sartre, Levi-Strauss. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. 10 Mehlman uses French structuralism to analyze Proust 9s Remembrance of Things Past, which he treats as an autobiographical novel, Leiris and Sartre 9s respective autobiographies, and Levi-Strauss 9 Triste Tropiques, an account of his first anthropological field experience. Mehlman defines structure as ca self-regulating series of transformations of a constant system of relationships. d (p. 13). Misch, G. (1950). A history of autobiography in antiquity. London: Routledge. 2 volumes. These volumes begin with an introduction that profiles Goethe and Pierre Larousse and moves to the Middle East with first-person narratives of Ahuri and Ahuramazda. The next section discusses Greek literature and Marcus Aurelius, Isocrates, Plato and Dion. Other topics include political life (Polybius, Cato the Elder, Plutarch, Octavian, Mark Antony), Hellenistic writers (Josephus), the Age of Enlightenment (Aratus, Galen) and many more. Murchison, C.A. (Ed.) (1930-Vol. 1) (1932-Vol. 1) (1936-Vol. 3). A history of psychology in autobiography. Worcester, MA: Clark University Press. These volumes contain the personal and professional autobiographies of psychologists and include analytical, introspective and theoretical details of their views. It is a collection of scientific papers dealing with psychology and autobiography. The contributors come from an international array of universities including Princeton, Yale, Duke, Berlin, Hamburg, London, Turin, Halle, Utrecht, and others. The New Yorker Book of War Pieces: London, 1939 to Hiroshima, 1945. (1988). New York: Schocken Books. This edition is a collection articles and letters gathered during World War II for publication in the New Yorker. It contains autobiographical accounts from Europe, Britain, the Persian Gulf, Hiroshima, Okinawa and other places. Nicolson, H. (1928). The development of English biography. New York: Harcourt Brace. Written by 20 th century biographer, critic and diarist Sir Harold Nicolson who believed that biography as a genre was becoming stifled, this book traces the historical development of English biography. Olney, J. (1998). Memory and narrative: The weave of life writing. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. A study of how life-writing has changed over time. The author reviews the changing styles in the autobiographical writings of St. Augustine, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Samuel Beckett and provides an overview of how memory and personal narrative have evolved over the course of 17 centuries to the present day. Osborn, J.M. (1959). The beginnings of autobiography in England. Los Angeles, CA: Clark Memorial Library. The author is the discoverer of the earliest known autobiography in English. The book is a paper delivered at a seminar on the relations of biography and history in the English Renaissance. Also provided are a brief history of English autobiography and a description of the author 9s research. 11 Padover, S.K. (1957). Confessions and self-portraits: 4600 years of autobiography. New York: John Day Co. This book begins with an introduction to the history of autobiography. It is a compilation of excerpts from famous autobiographers. Topics include: antiquity, middle ages, Renaissance, modern Europe, U.S., Russia and Asia. Some of names include Sennacherib, Marcus Aurelius, St. Augustine, Luther, Francis Bacon, Voltaire, Rousseau, Mill, Oarwin, Freud, Jack London, Ben Franklin, Tolstoy, Gandhi and Nehrm. Each excerpt has an introduction by the author giving historical background. Pascal, R. (1960). Design and truth in autobiography. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. This work provides a reference to autobiographies and books on autobiography. It covers the history of autobiography and deals with other aspects including story of a calling, acquisition of an outlook, childhood, the autobiographical novel, the autobiography of a poet, and the sensitiveness of the truth. Ponsonby, A. (1923). English diaries. London: Methuen. A review of English diaries from the 16th to the 20th centuries with an introduction on diary writing. Sarbin, T. (Ed.). (1986). Narrative psychology: The storied nature of human conduct. New York: Praeger. This book features essays by the major supporters of the narrative metaphor. They approach the subject from philosophical, religious, anthropological, and historical perspectives, as well as from the psychological point of view. Sayre, R.F. (1964). The examined self. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. This book is a study of the autobiographies of Franklin, Henry Adams and Henry James. They are studied in relation to each other and in relation to the American experience of their time. The work provides a historical picture and personal details of all three men. Shea, D.B. (1968). Spiritual autobiography in early America. Princeton, NJ Princeton University Press. This book deals primarily with Quaker journals and Puritan spiritual narratives. It goes into depth analyzing the several examples. Included are Emily Dickenson, Thoreau, Whitman, Adams, Jonathan Edwards and the narrative of conversion, and Cotton Mather. The book provides a bibliographical essay with resources for primary sources, historical background, and criticism of autobiography. Shumaker, W. (1954). English autobiography: Its emergence, materials and form. Los Angeles, CA: U.S. Press. This scholarly work contains voluminous notes and references to period autobiography. It provides analysis of the style of a particular genre. Chapters include the history of autobiography, reminiscence, life and times, shape and texture, the expository mode, narrative mode and mixed mode. Smith, S. (1974). Where I 9m bound: Patterns of slavery and freedom in Black American autobiography. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. This is a reference for information on African American autobiography, which offers a listing of black autobiographies, secondary sources on Black literature and literary criticism. 12 Chapters deal with black manhood, black womanhood, loss, flight, creative transcendence and conversions. Stauffer, D. (1930). English biography before 1700. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. The book provides a list of autobiographies and biographies. Thomson, D. & Hogan, J. D. (Eds.) (1996). A history of developmental psychology in autobiography. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. This book offers first-person accounts of the emergence of contemporary developmental psychology by experts in the field, including Paul Mussen, Louise Bates, Lois Hoffman and James Birren. The ten original essays presented here chart the personal and professional life experiences of the contributors. Thompson, P. (1988). The voice of the past: Oral history. New York: Oxford University Press. In this book the author traces oral history through its past up to the present. Topics include history and community, historians and oral history, oral history achievements, evidence, memory and the self, oral history projects, the interview and interpretation of oral history. It would be of use to students, teachers, historians and others interested in the importance of oral history in our society. Topper, K. (1921). Viewpoints of biography. Chicago, IL: American Library Association. This work lists autobiographies and biographies according to topics of interest with comments included for each one entered. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. I. (1918). Autobiography in the ancient world (B.C. 3800-A.D. 430). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. The work contains autobiographical material available on King Sargon, Sennacherib, Socrates, Xenophon, Julius Caesar, Augustus and St. Augustine. A one-page essay is introduced for each person providing personal and historical background. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. II. (1918). The Middle Ages and their autobiographies. (A.D. 1000-1500). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. The book includes an introduction to the Middle Ages and the self-narratives of Auicenna, Al Ahazali, Abelard, Salimbene, Dante, Petrach, Timur the Lame, Sir John Froissart, Sir Philip De Comines. A one-page introductory and historical note precedes each selection. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. III. (1918). The beginnings of the modern world (A.D. 1500-1550). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. This work includes a narrative of the modern world and the autobiographical data on Benvenuto Cellini, Luther, Henry VIII, Thomas Platter, Emperor Charles V and Jerome Cardan with a one-page historical introduction to each. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. IV. (1918). Autobiography during the religious wars (1550-1630). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. There is an introductory essay entitled, cFrom the Spanish St. Teresa to the English Cavaliers. d The book includes self-narrative material on St. Teresa, Sir Francis Drake, Mary Queen of Scots, Sir Thomas Bodley, Sir Walter Raleigh, Marguerite De Valois, Duke of Sully, Sir Francis Bacon, Lord Herbert of Cherbury and Sir Keneim Digby. 13 University Library of Autobiography, Vol. V. (1918). Autobiographers of the 17 th century (1630-1690). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. The book contains an introductory piece on the 17 th century, then autobiographies of William Lilly, John Milton, Count Philibert de Grammont, George Fox, John Bunyan, Sophia the Electress of Hanover, Samuel Pepys and Sir Isaac Newton. Two additional essays are provided on Fox and Bunyan plus one-page introductions on each selection. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. VI. (1918). Autobiography in the early century (1690-1750). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. This work includes an introductory piece on the period and on Franklin. Autobiographies include Colley Cibber, Duke De St. Simon, Lewis Holberg, Mohammed Ali Hazin and Ben Franklin. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. VII. (1918). Autobiography in the days of Frederick the Great (1730-1770). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. This volume contains a piece on the period plus one on Rousseau. Autobiographies on Rev. John Wesley, Carlo Goldoni, Dr. Samuel Johnson, Wilhemine Margravine of Baireuth, David Hume, King Frederick the Great and Jen Jacques Rousseau are included. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. VIII. (1918). Autobiographers from the close of the ancient regime (1740-1780). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. Book provides an introduction plus autobiographies of Jean Francois Marmontel, Henri de Lathde, Casanova, Baron Frederic Trenck, Oliver Goldsmith, Catherine the Great, Joseph Priestly. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. IX. (1918). Autobiography at the opening of the revolutionary age (1750-1790). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. The volume provides an introduction plus autobiographies of George Washington, Edward Gibbon, Thomas Jefferson, Mme. Jeanne Du Barry and Johann Wolfgang von Geothe. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. X. (1918). Autobiography of the later revolutionary days. (1770-1804). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. Introduction plus autobiographies of Vittorio Alfieri, Solomon Maimon, Madame Roland, John Marshall, Alexander Hamilton, Lafayette, Admiral Nelson, Mary Robinson and Robert Burns. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. XI. (1918). Autobiography in the age of Napoleon (1780-1820). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. Introductory piece plus autobiographies on Joseph Fouche, Napoleon Bonaparte, Duke of Wellington, William Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott, Prince von Metternich and Eugene Vidocq. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. XII. (1918). Autobiographers of the reactionary age (1790-1840). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. Introduction plus autobiographies of Princess Marie Therese of France, Fredrick Froesu, Thomas De Quincey, Peter Cartwright, Ben Haydon, Lord Byron and Heinrick Heine. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. XIII. (1918). Autobiography in the middle of the 19 th century (1820-1870). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. 14 Introduction to the period plus two essays on Newman and Mill. Includes autobiographies of John Stuart Mill, John Cardinal Newman, Victor Hugo, Princess Marie Asmar, Hans Christian Anderson, Eugene De Guerin and Henry. W. Longfellow. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. XIV. (1918). Autobiography in the Victorian age (1830-1890). New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. Includes the autobiographies of general Garibaldi, Abe Lincoln, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Richard Wagner, Sir Henry Bessemer, Prince von Bismarck, John Ruskin, Queen Victoria, Herbert Spencer and Henri Frederic Amise. University Library of Autobiography, Vol. XV. (1918). Recent great autobiographies (1860- 1914). Includes the autobiographies of Ernest Renan, Thomas Huxley, Tolstoy, Arminius Vambery, Sir Archibald Geikie, Sonya Koualevsky, Oscar Wilde, Marie Bashkirtseff, Clarence Hawkes and Clifford Beers. New York: F. Tyler Daniels Co. Webber, J. (1968). The eloquent cI d: Style and self in 17 th century prose. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press. This book provides a study of literary self-consciousness, including the historical setting and the literary mood of the times. It includes examples from John Bunyan, John Donne, John Lilburone, Robert Burton, Richard Baxter, Sir Thomas Browne, John Milton and Tomas Traherne. The author analyzes the literary style of each and delves into the authors 9 psyche. A bibliographic appendix lists references. Weintraub, S. (Ed). (1967). Biography and truth. Indianapolis, IN: Bobbs-Merrill. Insights on the nature of biograpthy and truth by prolific biographer, Stanley Weintraub, who wrote about George Bernard Shaw, Disraeli, George Washington and Edward VII. Wethered, H.N. (1956). The curious art of autobiography. New York: Philosophical Library. The author analyzes a number of examples of autobiography from the 16 th century on. He choses writers who describe themselves, as well as the times in which they lived. They include Cellini, Bunyan, Rousseau, Franklin, Darwin and Kipling. Autobiographical, Reminiscence and Memoir Methods: Group Methods American Association of Retired Persons. (1989). Reminiscence: Finding meaning in memories training guide. Washington, DC: American Association of Retired Persons. This manual is designed to help train groups or individuals who wish to reminisce with older people. The method involves having the trainees reminisce about their own life experiences while helping older people reminisce about their own. The book includes information on how to adapt the method to nursing home, hospice and home care settings, and teaches listening and interviewing skills. Birren, J.E. & Cochran, K. N. (2001). Telling the stories of life through guided autobiography groups. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. 15 The purpose of this book is to assist people who want to organize and conduct autobiography groups. Topics include the power of autobiography, who should do an autobiography, qualifications of a leader, how to organize a group, and small group dynamics. Also provided are an overview of each theme with sensitizing questions, sample publicity flyers and session handouts 4everything needed to start and run a successful guided autobiography group. Birren, J.E. & Deutchman, D.E. (1991). Guiding autobiography groups for older adults: Exploring the fabric of life. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. This book provides a guide for group leaders and others who are interested in how a guided autobiography group is conducted. Covered are the following topics: strengthening the fabric of life; helping older adults build greater understanding and self-worth through attending a guided autobiography group; how to lead a group; the healing power of the group; the importance of guiding themes and sensitizing questions; encouraging creativity; mastering obstacles; next steps after guided autobiography; a guide to the literature and implications for future research. Bratter, B. & Dennis, H. (2008). Project renewment: The first retirement model for career women. New York: Scribner. From the book jacket: cFor the first time in history, career women 4women who have worked outside the home for most of their lives 4are retiring. Without role models, they look to one another to face the changes this life transition brings. Project Renewment will show women that giving up their careers does not mean giving up who they are. d Renewment --a word the authors created from a combination of the words renewal and retirement 4 c suggests optimism and opportunity, growth and self-discovery. Project Renewment is a grassroots movement among women who are close to retirement or recently retired and looking to connect with one another. It offers insight and support in a friendly, humorous and meaningful way. d Burnside, I. (1986). Working with the elderly: Group process and techniques. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. This book deals with group work and the elderly and is a tool for students planning to specialize in geriatric care or the practitioner looking for a simply written text. Contributors include a variety of professionals and practitioners who conform to the multidisciplinary approach to group work and the elderly. Burnside, I. & Schmidt, M.G. (Eds.) (1994). Working with older adults: Group process and techniques. Boston, MA: Jones and Bartlett. From the book cover: cThis text presents state-of-the-art of group work with the older population, reflecting changes and current issues in this field. The aim is to improve the quality of psychosocial care of older adults through the appropriate use of groups. d Editors emphasize the importance of settings in which groups are conducted and offer a multidisciplinary and pragmatic approach to group intervention, including how to begin, conduct and maintain groups. Duffin, P. (1992). Then and now: A training pack for reminiscence work. Manchester: Gatehouse Books. A training pack for reminiscence work, designed to help interested people get started, or help those involved already to take a fresh look at what they are doing. 16 Gibson, F. (2007). The past in the present: Using reminiscence in health and social care. Baltimore, MD: Health Professions Press. The author, a reminiscence expert, combines theory and practical approaches for use by professionals working with older clients in a variety of group and individual settings. She provides tools and methods for triggering recall, recording a life story, tapping into creativity, experiencing a meaningful life review, deepening relationships with others, shedding feelings of isolation, using reminiscence for staff development and improving delivery of care. Other topics include problem-solving, coping, improving communication, increasing social interactions and self-esteem building through reminiscence strategies. Gibson, F. (1998). Reminiscence and recall: A guide to good practice. London: Age Concern. Designed for use by those professional caregivers who wish to develop and enhance their reminiscence work with older people--whether the setting is a residential care home, nursing home, hospital, club or day center--or working with an older person in their own home. Haight, B. & Gibson, F. (Eds.) (2005). Burnside 9s working with older adults: Group process and techniques. 4 th edition. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. By combining interdisciplinary theory and practice, this book introduces students to group work theories and explains how to modify general theory to meet the needs of older adults, including those who are contending with particular physical and cognitive disabilities. With numerous case studies in varying settings (hospitals, nursing homes, residential facilities, day centers, and home care), the book emphasizes group development, structure, process, and evaluating outcomes. Kunz, J.A. & Soltys, F.G. (2007). Transformational reminiscence: Life story work. New York: Springer Publishing. This practical book offers readers an overview of the varied applications of reminiscence and life review organized within the framework of Kunz 9s Life Story Matrix. Chapters are organized within each of the three dimensions of the Life Story Matrix: reminiscence to life review, private verses public, and content versus process. Leading experts in each of these areas are chapter contributors. Each chapter includes a current review of the literature, case examples or illustrations, and learning exercises that can be done individually or in groups. Mader, W. (1995). Thematically guided autobiographical reconstruction: On theory and method of 8guided autobiography 9 in adult education. In P. Alheit, A. Bron-Wojciechowska, E. Brugger & Dominice (Eds.), The biographical approach in adult education. Vienna: Verband Wiener Volksbildung. Provides an overview of the Birren Guided Autobiography (GAB) method and suggests ways to integrate GAB into an adult educational system. Magee, J.J. (1988). A professional 9s guide to older adults 9 life review: Releasing the peace within. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. The author presents a model in which facilitators of life review groups can enhance the self- acceptance of members while helping them to own their past, celebrate it as a gift and feel purposeful about their future. Rowles, G. & Schoenberg, N. (Eds.) (2002). Qualitative gerontology: Second Edition. New York: Springer Publishing. 17 The authors provide a contemporary perspective on the status of qualitative research in gerontology. The book examines recent trends in the application of qualitative methodologies and the emergence of new qualitative techniques, such as focus groups, studies of personal histories, and the use of photography. Chapters include discussions of critical and feminist perspectives, practice issues, ethical issues, and the contribution of qualitative research to the progress of science. Rzetelny, H. (1988). How to conduct a life stories project. New York: Brookdale Centre on Aging of Hunter College. Provides guidelines for conducting a life stories project in a community center or elder care setting. Seaton, C.E. (1983). Facilitating personal development in adulthood through guided autobiography: Rationale and procedures. Langley, B.C. Canada: Fraser Valley Aging Resource Center, Trinity Western College. In this monograph the author explores the significance of the concepts of life review and of the guided autobiographical method and provides specific directions for implementing guided autobiography with adults. Individual Methods Allen, L. (Ed.), Love, P., Marshall, E. & Stephens, L.A. (1981). Deep down things: A guide to writing your life story. Salem, OR: Chemeketa Community College. A step-by-step guide to writing a life story. Atkinson, R. (1998). The life story interview. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. This book provides an introduction to the sensitive collection of first-person narratives in a way that preserves the words of the person telling the story. Birren, J.E. & Feldman, L. (1997). Where to go from here: Discovering your own life 9s wisdom in the second half of your life. New York: Simon & Schuster. From the book jacket: cThis book moves us forward, frees us from the debris of the past by putting our life in context, and helps us to acknowledge our accomplishments. d For Birren, cTaking stock of your life is a step toward being freer to live it with greater vigor. d cYou are 18 what you remember, d Birren says, cencouraging us to live life as an adventure 4but with awareness. And though there is no magic carpet ride to a graceful and brilliant second half, Birren 9s grounded, compassionate wisdom and guidance serve as expert directions for getting there. d Borg, M. (1989). Writing your life: An easy-to-follow guide to writing an autobiography. Fort Collins, CO: Cottonwood Press. This step-by-step guide takes the autobiographer from the early years, middle years and later years, to putting it all together as a published book. Crandall, R.J. (2001). Shaking your family tree: A basic guide to tracing your family 9s genealogy. Boston, MA: New England Historical Genealogical Society. Crandall explains how to organize, trace and showcase a family history with up-to-date information on how and where to do the research. Topics include internet and library resources and researching records on births, deaths, marriages, churches, cemeteries, probates, courts, land, census, military and immigration, as well as how to organize and publish your family genealogy. Earlix, D.A. (1977). Life-history in social gerontology: Its validity and use. Thesis: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. The author poses the question: Is life a chance collection of happenings? Or can it be understood within an overlay of universal stages of human development? She attempts to answer these questions while exploring life-histories of individuals and the use of such methods in the study of social gerontology. Haight, B.K. (1992). The structured life-review process: A community approach to the ageing client. In Jones, G.M.M. & Miesen, B.M.L. (Eds.), (pp. 139-161) Care-giving in Dementia: Research and implications. London: Routledge. The theory and structure of Haight 9s life review process are examined with guidelines for implementing the techniques for older clients in a community setting. Haight, B.K. & Haight, B.S. (2007) The handbook of structured life review. Baltimore, MD: Health Professions Press. From the book cover: cThis handbook synthesizes thirty years of research and practice using the Structured Life Review process, a one-on-one therapeutic technique that guides people in reflecting on their lives from early childhood to the present. This approach allows individuals to learn from past experiences, settle unresolved issues, and ultimately achieve a state of life acceptance. Participants have been shown to benefit from increased life satisfaction, reduced depression and the opportunity for reconciliation, acceptance and serenity. d Humphries, S. (1984). The handbook of oral history: Recording life stories. London: Inter- Action Imprint. This book provides a guide to recording the life stories of an oral history and has been used in a number of oral history workshops at Essex University in England and other locations world-wide. 19 Jones, V.L., Eakle, A.H. & Christensen, M.H. (1972). Family history for fun and profit. Salt Lake City, UT: Publishers Press. This book provides a system of research in the field of genealogy and a useful note keeping method. It would be of interest to novice as well as experienced genealogists. Keen, S. & Fox, A.V. (1973). Telling your story: A guide to who you are and who you can be. New York: Doubleday. This book is designed to show the reader how to find out the story he or she wants to tell 4to others and to one 9s self. It provides theoretical maps in the form of philosophy, viewpoints and firsthand accounts (stories) to help in the exploration of one 9s own time, space, roots and personal mythology. Lyons, R. (1977). Autobiography: A reader for writers. New York: Oxford University Press. This is a book designed to help people gain confidence and skill in writing their autobiography. It helps motivate the writer to write, describes the writing process and includes autobiographical excerpts by well-known writers on such topics as people, places and events. Mitchell, M. (1999). The art of recording life stories: A workbook. Simsbury, CT: Published by Mary Mitchell, marym34116@aol.com. This workbook covers how to do a life review or an oral history. It includes material on intergenerational sharing of stories, listening, encouraging reminiscence, benefits of reminiscence groups, story telling in the medical world, sample questions and a bibliography of related books, articles and websites. Mullan, F., Ficklen, E. & Rubin, K. (Eds.) (2006). Narrative matters: The power of the personal essay in health policy. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. From the book cover: cDrawn from the popular cNarrative Matters d column in the journal Health Affairs, these forty-six articles focus on such topics as the hard financial realities of medical insurance, AIDS, assisted suicide, marketing drugs, genetic engineering, organ transplants and ethnic and racial disparities in the health care system d as these matters relate to narratives and personal essays. Murphy, J.S. & Hudson, F.M. (1995). The joy of old: A guide to successful elderhood. Altadena, CA: Geode Press. This volume offers advice for making elderhood enjoyable and rewarding. It reinforces elders who are already committed to making the final years their most rewarding, and is inspiring for those who may view their old age with resignation and regret. Its topics include: a new vision of elderhood, preretirement, ways to cope with fears, emerging as a full person, transformation with growth from midlife to elderhood, and ten marks for recognizing successful elders. Progoff, I. (1975). At a journal workshop: The basic text and guide for using the intensive journal. New York: Dialogue House. This book describes the techniques of the Intensive Journal Process, which is an instrument for self-guidance, crystallizing decisions, identifying goals and finding meaning in life. Topics 20 include the life history log, stepping stones, intersections (roads taken and not taken) and now: the open moment. Rainer, T. (1997). Your life story: Writing the new autobiography. New York: G.P. Putnam 9s Sons. This is a text on contemporary autobiographic writing. It challenges assumptions about who may write about their lives, why and how. It offers coaching on how to craft short or long life narratives and traces the history of autobiography from the ancient Egyptians to modern authors. Examples from such well known writers as Maya Angelou and Russell Baker are included. Rainer demonstrates how to write character portraits, how to remember stories, how to unify a story, how to use humor, and how to move through time, among other topics. Schroots, J.J.F. & ten Kate, C.A. (1989). Metaphors, aging and the life-line interview method. In D. Unruh & G.S. Livings (Eds.) Current perspectives on aging and the life cycle, Vol. 3, pp. 281-298. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press. In this chapter the authors introduce a new method of research on aging and the life course. The Life-line Interview Method (LIM) is an instrument for eliciting biographical information in the form of life metaphors, especially from the elderly. The authors state that the LIM can serve as a diagnostic and process-facilitating tool for working with the elderly especially because it allows the older person to set his or her own pace for disclosing biographical information. Selling, B. (1988). Writing from within: A step-by-step guide to writing your life stories. Claremont, CA: Hunter House. Enables one to review, understand, and write the stories of one 9s life. With techniques that unfold in an easy to understand checklist of steps to follow, the reader will learn to cope with the fear of writing, create favorable conditions for writing well, write autobiography from a child 9s point of view, recollect long forgotten memories, write with clarity and impact, employ fiction techniques in life writing, and rewrite effectively. Shadur, H. (no date) By myself I 9m a book. Prepared by Pittsburgh Section National Council of Jewish Women under the Direction of Ailon Shiloh. This is a workbook for recording a family tree and details of one 9s life story. Thomas, F.P. (1984). How to write the story of your life. Cincinnati, OH: Writers Digest Books. This book is a step-by-step guide to recording your life for generations to come. It includes 500 cmemory sparkers d to help recall forgotten events in each stage of life, 100 topic ideas to add variety to your story, and excerpts from actual memoirs. Watts, J. & Davies, A.F. (Eds.) (1974). Generations: Your family in modern American history. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. This is a guide to exploring the past by beginning with the self. It serves to help the reader gain a better understanding of the self and family within the backdrop of immigration and other social changes of the twentieth century. It further provides a guide to asking questions 21 about one 9s place in social history. cIt starts with you and the present, goes back several generations, and then comes forward to the present again. d Williams, P. A. (1997). Once upon a lifetime: Take the time to record the stories of your life. Nisku, Alberta, Canada: Nisku Printers. This book will guide you through the past and present, and into the future. The easy-to-follow format allows you to choose the questions you wish to answer and then write your comments in the spaces provided. The questions can also be used as an aid for interviews on audio or video recordings. Autobiography, Philosophy and Spirituality: Atkinson, R. (1995). The gift of stories: Practical and spiritual applications of autobiography, life stories and personal mythmaking. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey. This book coffers a clear concise basis for understanding the nature and potential of sharing our stories. It provides specific, practical, instructional details for telling our own stories and gives the necessary guidelines for assisting others in telling their life stories. Its basic framework enables individuals with little experience to begin writing about the really important aspects of their lives and understanding how and why the universal elements of the stories we tell contribute to our continuing growth. d Donne, J.S. (1969). A search for God in time and memory. New York: MacMillan Co. Donne explores dimensions of the process of bringing a lifetime into consciousness from an autobiographical standpoint. He talks about recognizing deathtime as encompassing life, and the autobiographical realization of perspective from a religious orientation. Ebner, D. (1971). Autobiography in 17 th century theology and the self. The Hague: Mouton. This is a discussion of religious autobiography that talks about style as well. Finkelstein, L. (Ed.). (1948). American spiritual autobiographies. New York: Harper & Row. Autobiographical essays of the spiritual leaders in the 1940s. They represent a cross-section of faiths and occupations 3 scientists, educators, scholars, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, and others. Authors include Harry Fosdick, Mary MacLeod Bethune, Raphael Isaacs, Alvin Johnson, Jacob Potofsky, Mary Simkhovitch, Lyman Bryson, M.L. Wilson and others. Hateley, B. J. (1985). Telling your story, exploring your faith: Writing your life story for personal insight and spiritual growth. St Louis, MO: CBP Press. From the book cover: cWritten within the context of the Christian faith, this book is designed to help the reader write his or her own life story, and in the process, to enhance personal and spiritual growth. This book enables the reader to come to terms with old wounds and conflicts from the past, and once resolved, to leave the emotional baggage behind and move into the future with peace of mind and renewed faith. Klug, R. (1993). How to keep a spiritual journal: A guide to journal keeping for inner growth and personal discovery. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg. From the book cover: The book cdescribes a spiritual journal as a tool for self-discovery, an aid to concentration, a mirror for the soul, a place to generate and capture ideas, a safety 22 valve for the emotions, a training ground for the writer, and a good friend and confidant. But the main purpose is to advocate its value for spiritual growth. Klug also discusses the mechanics of getting started, the variations for developing the practice, and the short and long range values of journaling. d Koenig, H.G. (1994). Aging and God: Spiritual pathways to mental health in midlife and later years. New York: Haworth Pastoral Press. In this book the author identifies how religion affects mental health in adulthood. He reviews major theories, as well as the current research, and provides a historical review of tensions between behavioral science and religion. Also addressed are ways that religion can complement science in the understanding and treatment of mental distress. Other topics include clinical applications, special concerns in later life and issues of death and dying. Kooiman, H. (1968). Cameos: Women fashioned by God. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House. This work contains brief life stories of 15 women and how God came into their lives. Each goes into crises and turning points in their lives, especially the spiritual aspects. Moody, H.R. (Ed.) (2005). Religion, spirituality and aging: A social work perspective. New York: Haworth Social Work Practice Press. This book presents a collection of contributions that can inform both professionals and non- professionals interested in the realities of aging, religion and spirituality. It draws from professionals in the fields of gerontology, social work, religion and ethics to address an important gap in the social work curriculum. The work coffers cues for making effective turns in our spiritual journeys and improving the quality of our lives as we live longer. d Morgan, R.L. (1996). Remembering your story: A guide to spiritual autobiography. Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books. The author presents a guide for constructing a spiritual autobiography. Morgan, R.L. (2002). Remembering your story: Creating your own spiritual autobiography. Nashville, TN: Upper Room Books. From the book cover: The author coffers readers of all ages a way to create their own spiritual autobiographies. Helpful for small groups as well as individuals, this resource leads you through ten weeks of study that include the following topics: life stories, reclaiming childhood stories, family relationships, stories that connect the generations and healing of memories. Novak, M. (1971). Autobiography and story, In Ascent of the mountain, flight of the dove: An invitation to religious studies, pp. 44-89. New York: Harper & Row. Novak develops the idea of story and autobiography as developing aspects of the self in relation to religiousness vs. ethics and principles. Pable, M. (1996). The quest for the male soul: In search of something more. Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press. Fr. Martin defines spirituality as cwhatever helps us make sense of our lives and gives them meaning. d In this book he guides men to explore what it means to be created in the image of God, to possess positive sexual energy, to gain the courage of a warrior, to carry wounds gracefully, to mature concerning authority, and to be wise. He describes six stages of skills that speak to a man 9s soul while encouraging the exploration of the questions of life, and he offers his six-step process of spiritual growth. 23 Phifer, N. (2002). Memories of the soul: Writing your spiritual autobiography. Cincinnati, OH: Walking Stick Press. This work encourages the reader to write about a variety of personal topics including strengths, creativity, resilience and moments of transformation. cDoing so, d says the author, cwill enable [the reader] to breathe new life into personal memories, stimulate spiritual growth and develop profound connections to the special places and people d in one 9s life. Provided are instructions, writing exercises and tips for avoiding writing obstacles, along with real-life memoir excerpts as examples. Porat, F. (1980). Creative procrastination: Organizing your own life. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row. This book is a guide for managing time with the aim to free up more time for the chuman side of life, d which she describes as time for thinking, creating, planning and enjoying. The author guides the reader in achieving a chealthy balance between periods of productivity and periods of relaxation necessary to restore one 9s creative capacity. d Topics include negative versus creative procrastination, focusing on results, racing the clock, overcoming guilt, coping with depression, setting rational deadlines, time-saving ideas, handling criticism, redefining values, and benefits of free time on one 9s well-being. Starr, G.A. (1965). Defoe and spiritual autobiography. London: Oxford University Press. This book discusses the rise of the spiritual autobiography with its intense focus on the individual. It profiles Daniel Defoe 9s Robinson Crusoe, a fictionalized account of a character 9s spiritual journey while he is stranded on a deserted island. Wakefield, D. (1990). The story of your life: Writing a spiritual autobiography: A step-by-step approach to exploring your past and understanding your present. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. The book helps the reader answer deep questions of life, including, cWho am I? Why am I here and What is the meaning of my life? d Says the author, cTaking the time to ask these questions can be the first step to new growth, healing and maturity. d Instructions are provided on how to go about writing one 9s spiritual autobiography. Also offered are exercises to stimulate memory and self-reflection, including drawing a favorite childhood room, describing a friend, and sketching a road map of one 9s life. The book contains examples of stories taken from the author 9s spiritual autobiography workshops. Research: Autobiographical Memory, Reminiscence, Life Review and Life History Assink, M. (2006). Autobiographical memory in longitudinal perspective: Stability and change of reported life-events over a five-year period. Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Holland. cThe main aim of this longitudinal, explorative study was to describe the dynamics of autobiographical memory (AM) over the lifespan. The study covers a period of five years in which the Life-line Interview Method was administered three times to 98 men and women about equally divided over a young (18-30 years), middle (31-55 years) and older age group (56-84 years). Autobiographical memories and expectations were analyzed from the perspective of number, affect and content of events. The effect of age, gender and time perspective on stability and change were determined. d 24 Bender, M., Bauchkan, P. & Norris, A. (1999). The therapeutic purposes of reminiscence. London: Sage. This book offers a guided tour through the history, context and purposes of reminiscence therapy. It covers the range of applications, from promoting social and emotional stimulation to reminiscence as psychotherapy. It contains a brief overview of its theoretical underpinnings and emphasizes the need for adequate training and supervision for those undertaking this type of work. The authors also provide a working guide to the assessment process. Bornat, J. (Ed). (1994). Reminiscence reviewed: Perspectives, evaluations, achievements. Buckingham, England: Open University Press. This book brings together work by leading psychologists, gerontologists, social workers, nurses and community workers who have first-hand experience of reminiscence work. Contributors provide a critical overview of the field. They reflect on the processes involved in specific contexts and suggest ways of developing more sensitive approaches in an area of work that has seen much activity, but little reflection and evaluation. The book includes descriptions of work in hospitals, schools and a variety of community settings and will be useful to students and practitioners in health, social care and adult education. Butler, R.N. (1968). cThe life review: An interpretation of reminiscence in the aged. d In B. Neugarten (Ed.) Middle Age and Aging, pp. 486-497. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. In this chapter, Butler discusses his concept of reminiscence as a natural aspect of aging rather than an indication of deterioration. Coleman, P.G. (1986). Ageing and reminiscence processes: Social and clinical implications. New York: John Wiley & Sons. From the book cover: cThis book is a study of the role and significance of reminiscence and provides a unique view into the diversity of responses to thinking and talking about the past in old age. Based upon the author 9s research and clinical experience, the findings of the studies reveal the variety of patterns of adjustment to late life and place memories within them. d Connections with clinical and social work practice are identified making the book a good resource for students and those working with older people. Conway, M.A. (1990). Autobiographical memory: An introduction. Philadelphia: Open University Press. Topics include a discussion of autobiographical memory, theoretical underpinnings, vivid or flashbulb memories, and aspects of emotions, organization, retrieval, impairment, and cognition as they related to autobiographical memory. Conway, M.A., Rubin, D.C., Spinnler, H. & Wagenaar, W.A. (Eds.) (1992). Theoretical perspectives on autobiographical memory. Sordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers. In this chapter the authors provide a theoretical overview of the concept of autographical memory. Disch, R. (Ed.) (1988). Twenty-five years of the life review: Theoretical and practical considerations. New York: Haworth Press. In this book, professionals in the field of aging examine the history and concept of the life review and go beyond the early formulation of this concept both in theory and in practice. 25 Critics suggest ways that the theory can be modified and expanded while offering several unique methods of creatively adapting changes for practical purposes. Proponents, while emphasizing that reminiscence is not a panacea, proclaim its historical, educational and therapeutic value. Fivush, R. & Haden, C.A. (Eds.) (2003). Autobiographical memory and the construction of a narrative self: Developmental and cultural perspectives. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. From the book cover: cContributors to this book share a perspective that both memory and self are constructed through specific forms of social interactions and/or cultural frameworks that lead to the formation of an autobiographical narrative. Taken together, the chapters weave a coherent story about how each of us creates a life narrative embedded in social- cultural frameworks that define what is appropriate to remember, how to remember it, and what it means to be a self with an autobiographical past. d Haight, B.K., Coleman, P. & Lord, K. (1995). The linchpins of a successful life review: Structure, evaluation and individuality. In B.K. Haight & J.D. Webster (Eds.) The art and science of reminiscing: Theory, research, methods and applications. Washington, D.C: Taylor & Francis. From the chapter: cE. Erikson 9s (1950) model of human development guides the life review and defines the therapeutic structure. Three linchpins 4structure, evaluation and individuality 4provide the basis for the process. Structure means that reminiscing should cover the whole life span. Evaluation is the process of weighing and valuing life 9s events. The one-to-one therapeutic process is what we call individuality. d Haight, B.K. & Webster, J.D. (Eds.) (1995). Art and science of reminiscing: Theory, research, methods and applications. Washington, D.C: Taylor & Francis. Here the authors present reminiscing as a multi-disciplinary topic while examining related theories and research. They also discuss the different ways of conducting life-review interviews and explore therapeutic applications. Contributors include icons in the field, such as James Birren, Irene Burnside and Phillipe Cappeliez. Hay, P.A. (2002). Development of an autobiographical group work process for use with oriented nursing home residents. Lewiston, New York: The Edwin Mellen Press. Based upon Birren and Deutchman 9s (1991) book on autobiography groups for older adults, this study involved having nursing home residents write their life stories and read them within a group. Topics include an introduction, a literature review, an overview of the problems associated with living in a nursing home, a summarization of the ten week group work process, research findings, recommendations and the unanticipated responses to the study. Hinchman, L. & Hinchman, S. (1997). Memory, identity, community: The idea of narrative in the human sciences. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. This anthology documents the importance of narrative to the study of individuals and groups. The editors propose that the human sciences are undergoing a paradigm shift toward a more humanistic language in which narrative plays a complex role. Narratives, they claim, help to make experience intelligible, to crystallize personal identity, and to constitute and nurture 26 community. The fifteen articles in this collection, organized into sections dealing with memory, identity, and community, are by noted scholars who advocate diverse political and ideological positions. The contributors represent a wide variety of disciplines, including philosophy, history, religion, communication, environmental studies, political science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and law. Kaminsky, M. (Ed.). (1983). All that our eyes have witnessed: Aging, reminiscence, creating. New York: Horizon Press. Contributors discuss aspects of aging, reminiscence and creativity in elderhood. Kaminsky, M. (Ed.) (1984). The uses of reminiscence: New ways of working with older adults. New York: Haworth Press. Contributors provide insights into the uses of reminiscence with older adults. Topics include reminiscence and continuity, recollection, workshops, living history plays, the story, tapping the legacy, healing, hope, health and ending. Also covered are the uses of reminiscence, reminiscence and society, life review poems, the elderly, groups, realities of aging and a bibliography on reminiscence. Kunz, J.A. & Gray, F. (Eds.) (2007). Transformational reminiscence: Life story work. New York: Springer. Using the life story matrix as a framework, the editors and contributors look at the complexities of life story work with older adults. Topics include techniques, advice on making story public, content and process of reminiscence, using life story approaches to enhance the quality of life for older adults, ameliorating social and psychological problems and interventions. Practical applications, anecdotes, exercises and suggestions are provided. McMahon, P.W. & Rhudick, P.J. (1967). Reminiscing in the aged: An adaptational response. In S. Levin and R.J. Kahana (Eds.) Psychodynamics studies of aging: Creativity, reminiscing and dying, pp. 64-78. New York: International Universities Press. This book chapter describes results of empirical research on non-institutionalized elderly suggesting that reminiscence is positively related to adaptation by maintaining self-esteem, reaffirming identity, mastering personal losses, and positively contributing to society. Findings suggest that reminiscence is not related to intellectual deterioration and that it is positively related to freedom from depression and to personal survival. Nomura, T. (1998). Reminiscence and life review: Therapy and skill. Tokyo, Japan: Chuohoki Publication. The author discusses therapeutic uses of reminiscence and life review and provides insights on skills needed for utilizing these methods with older adults. Rubin, D.C. (Ed.) (1988). Autobiographical memory. New York: Cambridge University Press. 27 This book places the study of autobiographical memory in its historical, methodological and theoretical contexts. Topics include research on autobiographical memory, schematic/temporal organization and distribution of autographical memories, and failure of autobiographical memory in forms of amnesia. Rubin, D. C. (Ed.) (1996). Remembering our past: Studies in autobiographical memory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. The contributors discuss areas of interest related to autobiographical memory, including cognitive psychology, naturalistic studies and practical problems, such as eyewitness testimony, survey research and clinical syndromes in which there are losses or distortions of memory. Thus the scope of this book extends beyond psychology into law, medicine, sociology and literature. Schroots, J.J.F. & van Dongen, L. (1995). Birren 9s ABC: AutoBiografieCursus. Assen, The Netherlands: Van Gorcum. (In Dutch). Describes the Guided Autobiography course developed by Dr. James E. Birren. The course, say the authors, helps people revisit their life stories and write them down in a 10-week course format. The book is intended for teachers, staff and supervisors who wish to institute a Guided Autobiography course in their facilities, or for the individual who would like to follow the guidelines to write his or her own stories. Sherman, E. (1991). Reminiscence and the self in old age. New York: Springer Publishing. From the book jacket: Based upon aging and adult development, this book covers the various dimensions, types and in-depth experiences of reminiscence and life review in old age. cThe text includes new findings and ideas on imagery and language of reminiscence, the role of memorabilia and cherished possessions, and expression of life themes and personal narrative in reminiscence. Also featured are the creative and esthetic elements of reminiscence 4expressed in both written and oral forms. d Thompson,

less