First and foremost, we are indebted to Scott Lilienfeld and Steven Lynn for inviting us to contribute to this series. Their encouragement provided momentum, and their detailed suggestions and guidance along the way were indispensable.

We are grateful to the folks at Wiley Blackwell who helped us bring this book to fruition. Senior Editor Matt Bennett's enthusiasm for the project and for our potential to make a valuable contribution to the Myths series gave us the impetus to prepare the proposal. Danielle Descoteaux, Senior Acquisitions Editor, took over the project and guided us with kindness and insight. Her assistant, Olivia Wells, and Senior Project Editor Karen Shield supported us in many ways, and Production Editor Tom Bates, together with the entire production team, were invaluable in the publication of this book. We also thank the anonymous reviewers of our early book proposal who made excellent suggestions that helped us tweak the final myths list.

Dr. Stephen Konscol shared his expertise on changes in conceptualizing some types of pathology as DSM-IV-TR gave way to DSM-5. The following friends and relatives offered suggestions on media sources that perpetuate many of the myths that we have attempted to bust: Bill Gibson, Carolyn Sobel, Jane Spirn, Elliott Stein, and Jeff Szuchman. Thanks also to Mark Szuchman for offering some very helpful editorial comments throughout the many hours Joan and Lenore were collaborating by phone. Finally, we appreciate our friends and acquaintances of all ages who shared their views on aging and older adulthood.