A Concise History of World Population

For the third edition, the author has included new estimates and projections on world population to the year 2050, and updated the quantitative documentation and the bibliography. He has expanded the text on the geopolitical implications of demographic increase on different regions of the world and added sections on the effects of HIV on mortality and on sustainability of an extended life span. At the same time, the features that made previous editions attractive have been retained: the informative and accessible style, the reasoned treatment of issues crucial to the future of every species, and the contemporary recasting of theory.

Livi-Bacci is one of the great historians of human population of our age. His title suggests that this is a survey of previous studies of population. It is. But it is more than that. It is also a unique work of scholarship. Livi-Bacci presents new work which clarifies and extends our understanding of how population growth has affected past history and how it will continue to affect our lives in the future.

It is well written. The style is clear and concise. It is suitable for the generalist as well as the specialist. It is a joy to read.

There are only two faults that I feel mar this book. The first is that Livi-Bacci pays less attention to the effects of the Demographic Transition than it seems to merit. The second is that there is no summary bibliography. Yet if one wishes to look at one book which reveals how powerfully human population growth has affected human history, this would be the book to choose.


still growing   November 19, 2006
W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This book excels at providing an integrated and comprehensive look at the global population. Studying many trends that have brought us [the world] to the current state of affairs. Like the lowering of fertility across the developed countries. Such that many are now below replacement rates, signalling a future dimunition of population unless immigration is increased. There are explanations of various models of correlations between demographic and population growth. Though many of these are untested and somewhat empirical.

The text also looks at poor countries. Where the situation is often starkly different. While fertility rates have often fallen, these are usually still above replacement rates. Leading some countries to expect continued demographic pressures to maintain, let alone improve, living standards.

Unfortunately, the best available data suggests that the world population will still increase, topping out [we hope] at 9 billion by 2050. It could be grim.


Some fog and smoke.   June 18, 2004
Morton S. Skorodin (Stillwater, Ok United States)
1 out of 39 found this review helpful

Can't quite admit to themselves about the genocide of the natives of the Americas. They should read, e.g., Ward Churchill and revise accordingly.