A Concise History of World Population

English (translation)Original Italian

Since its original publication in 1992, this book has become the standard history of world population. It examines the changing patterns of its growth, and the effects of migrations, wars, disease, technology, and culture. Its underlying purpose is to explain the links between nature, culture, and population and thereby to look at ways of preventing future environmental collapse and human catastrophe. It is valued for its informative and accessible style, the reasoned treatment of issues crucial to the future of every species, and the contemporary recasting of theory.

For this fourth edition, the author updates information on current trends in developing countries and incorporates new United Nation projections to 2050. He also provides the latest data on fertility and infant mortality. There is a new section on migration, an emerging issue for rich and poor countries alike. The discussion of America is completely rewritten to give a fuller view of the past, including reference to the slave trade, and coverage of China has been expanded. The bibliography is also updated.