Medical care of the elderly today challenges the practitioner to break away from narrow diagnostic labelling and view the whole picture of disease in old age. In an excellent problem-oriented approach, Geriatric Medicine offers a complete overview for practitioners. The main portion of the text deals with the common diseases of old age; important aspects such as physiology, demography, and health care delivery are discussed in separate chapters. Social and legal aspects in the major English-speaking countries receive adequate attention. All of the contributors have at some time been connected with the University Department of Geriatric Medicine in Cardiff and attest to a positive and dynamic approach in geriatric medicine, an approach that has international validity and relevance.