It is increasingly recognized that an individual's experience of old age is fundamentally influenced by their earlier life experiences. This volume of the ""Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics"" begins with an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of both the Life Span and the Life Course perspectives on health disparities in aging populations, examining them in the context of a changing structure of society. This book focuses on morbidities in general as well as specific morbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, giving special attention to life-time influences on cognition and functional abilities. Finally, this new volume addresses broader policy issues with relation to Life Span and Life Course perspectives on aging. It addresses an important topic of increasing relevance. It also addresses the issue of disparities from genes to geography. It presents traditional and emerging scientific perspectives.