Human memory and cognitive aging have been the subject of intense scientific research during the last decades. Numerous advances have been made in explaining the cognitive processes and the neuropsychological mechanisms underlying human memory, and in outlining age-related changes in them. This new volume includes an up-to-date collection of chapters written by authoritative researchers in these fields. The chapters were originally presented in a conference held in May 2000 to mark the retirement of Fergus Craik from the University of Toronto. Craik's contributions in these two areas were at the center of the discussions held. These discussions were related to the history and current status of the influential levels of processing approach (Craik and Lockhart, 1972) as an explanatory framework of memory performance and to Craik's self-initiation/environmental support hypothesis of cognitive aging. Behavioral, as well as neuroimaging data, were brought to bear in evaluating these ideas as well as of others which are central to theories of both memory and cognitive aging. The volume is divided unto four parts, each preceded by introductory comments and followed by a discussion chapter. The first section deals with levels of processing and memory theory, the second addresses working memory and attention, the third deals with cognitive aging, and the last addresses neuroscience perspectives. With the breadth and depth of the topics discussed the volume will be of interest to any student or researcher interested in human memory and cognitive aging.