In light of the increasing numbers of men becoming fathers during middle age, this book examines the social and economic pressures facing older fathers and the personal adjustments that they and their families must make. Chapter 1 introduces the topic through a narrative recounting a personal experience. Chapter 2, "The Twilight Zone," presents information on the incidence of older fatherhood, and describes the process of interviewing older fathers, wives, and children. Also discussed are adult development stages for men, changing concepts of fatherhood, and moral concerns about late fatherhood. Chapter 3, "Honey, I'm Nurturing the Kid!" concerns men's psychological changes in middle age that contribute to differences between fathering during middle age and fathering at a younger age. Chapter 4, "Older Men and Younger Women," concerns motivations for forming older man-younger women unions and differences in child rearing styles. Chapter 5, "The Adoption Connection," compares open and closed adoption, and presents several couples' experiences with adoption. Chapter 6, "In the Shadows: The Other Children," discusses the adjustments made by grown children of a father's first marriage. Chapter 7, "Eccentric Faddists or Latter-Day Columbuses?" places the phenomenon of middle-aged fatherhood in historical perspective. Chapter 8, "Is Late Fathering Bad for Kids?" examines the mortality problem, children's perceptions of their older fathers, and the impact of parental death at a young age. Chapter 9, "Changes," is a father-son conversation comparing fathers of different ages, the impact of parental divorce and death on children, and fathering in the 1990s. Contains 23 references. (KB)