"...well-referenced and carefully navigated. {Whitney} explores big demographic issues and their intersections with other global forces in an even-handed, restrained, and thoughtful way...the book is well-researched and scientifically sound...What I liked about it most, however, was the constructive, rationally optimistic tone throughout the whole book."
― Population and Development Review
In the fall of 2022, demographers at the United Nations announced that the global human population had surpassed 8 billion people. Headline after headline repeated what most of us already believed: our numbers were spiraling out of control, threatening the health of our planet and everything on it.
Other headlines told a different story―one about looming and long-lasting labor shortages. How could it be that our population is propagating at an alarming pace if our labor force is contracting? Demographic Deception addresses this question. It explains how an examination of data like fertility rates and median age reveals we’re not at risk of overpopulation; rather, it’s underpopulation we should be worrying about.
Aging and declining populations will herald massive changes. Some could be positive, like lower carbon emissions and reduced demand for limited resources. But plummeting populations could also portend serious economic upheaval caused by too few working-age people producing too few goods and services.
Which changes occur, as well as their level of severity, will depend on how well we prepare. But we can’t plan for these changes if no one knows they’re coming. That’s the purpose of Demographic Deception: to expose the overpopulation myth, to inform readers about the possible effects of aging societies and population decline, and to initiate a conversation about what we might do about them. The sooner we plan, innovate, and adapt, the less disruptive and painful these coming changes will be. Indeed, if we play our cards right, they could even present some opportunities.
We must recognize what’s happening now. The numbers are playing out right before our eyes. It’s up to us to see them. It’s up to us to act.
DUSTIN WHITNEY is a curious businessman with a particular interest in the future – always looking down the road and peering around corners. He operates at the intersections of enterprise, innovation, and design. He’s a unifier – bringing people and ideas together.
Building on his Jesuit education, Dustin has studied the teachings of Aristotle and has incorporated them into the way he works and approaches life. As a modern-day business executive with balance, he believes today’s conversations around happiness and leadership are rooted in the philosophical underpinnings of those great thinkers that have come before us.
Driven by humility and a desire for intentional, sincere engagement, Dustin has been on a journey of pursuing excellence and truth. Helping others and fostering success is his real practice. He tends to focus on big picture thoughts like large overarching trends and their implications. Current projects include the future of work, automation, and the key economic and cultural challenges associated with them.
