Many experts believe that population growth is the greatest threat
facing humanity. Others argue that the link between population
growth and insecurity is unproven. This concise and provocative
book discusses both sides of this debate, examining the way the
arguments have changed and evolved, and questioning the assumptions
of the main protagonists.

Furedi argues that the western preoccupation with population
growth reveals more about the internal concerns of western
societies than the socio-economic development of the south. He
suggests that attempts to establish a causal link between increases
in population and poverty lead to a pragmatic, even manipulative
approach to the issue of development. Examining a broad range of
key debates and controversies - the 'population bomb' in Asia, the
culture of a distinct regime of African fertility, the role of
education in stabilizing population growth in Kerala - he contends
that the marginalization of the goal of development is the outcome
of a narrow concern with population policies. He fears that the
recent shift of the population agenda towards the problems of the
environment, gender equality and reproductive health is informed by
a similar opportunistic pragmatism.

Challenging and original, this book will be essential reading
for students and specialists in development studies, sociology, and
population studies, and for anyone interested in the debates
surrounding world population growth.