This is a concise account of the history of the human population of the world including the history of migrations, the effects of plagues, wars, fertility transitions, mortality, fecundity, marriage and family patterns. The author also describes present day trends (in which by and large the populations of rich countries are stable, those of poor countries grow exponentially) and considers the problems the world will face by the year 2010. Massimo Livi Bacci's book will have much more than academic interest. It is informative and accessible, and calmly explains issues often treated in an emotional gloom-and-doom fashion. The author steers a balanced course through the optimist and catastrophe camps, suggesting an alternative way to view the evident problems of overcrowding, degradation and disease - one that is nothing less than a modern recasting of Malthusian theory.