Ruth Dixon-Mueller, PhD, was in the middle of rewriting her own will when she decided to review the sociological research on the topic. She began looking into the US system of "testamentary freedom" and exploring the concept of fairness in relation to estate planning. Passing On, the result of that research, is her first published work dealing with the topic of aging. A former professor of sociology at the University of California, Davis, Dixon-Mueller specialized in the sexual and reproductive rights of girls and women around the world. She has written numerous articles on the subject. She is also the author of Abortion & Common Sense and Population Policy and Women's Rights: Transforming Reproductive Choice. For more information about her work, contact her at dixonmueller@yahoo.com.