Human memory and cognitive aging have been the subject of intense scientific research. 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 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 1999 to mark the retirement of Fergus Craik from the University of Toronto. Craik’s contributions in these two areas were at the centre of the discussions held. These discussions were related to the history and current status of the influential levels of processing approach as an explanatory framework of memory performance and to Craik’s self-initiation/environmental support hypothesis of cognitive aging.