As the world nears 8 billion people the countries that have led the global order since World
War II are becoming the most aged societies in human history. At the same time the world's
poorest and least powerful countries are suffocating under an imbalance of population and
resources. In 8 Billion and Counting political demographer Jennifer D. Sciubba argues that the
story of the twenty-first century is less a story about exponential population growth as the
previous century was than it is a story about differential growth-marked by a stark divide
between the world's richest and poorest countries. Drawing from decades of research policy
experience and teaching Sciubba employs stories and statistics to explain how demographic
trends like age structure and ethnic composition are crucial signposts for future violence
and peace repression and democracy poverty and prosperity. Although we have a diverse global
population demographic trends often follow predictable patterns that can help professionals
across the corporate nonprofit government and military sectors understand the global
strategic environment. Through the lenses of national security global health and economics
Sciubba demonstrates the pitfalls of taking population numbers at face value and extrapolating
from there. Instead she argues we must look at the forces in a society that amplify
demographic trends and the forces that dilute them particularly political institutions or the
rules of the game. She shows that the most important skills in demographic analysis are naming
and being aware of your preferences rethinking assumptions and asking the right questions.
Provocative and engrossing 8 Billion and Counting is required reading for business leaders
policy makers and anyone eager to anticipate political economic and social risks and
opportunities. A deeper understanding of fertility mortality and migration promises to point
toward the investments we need to make today to shape the future we want tomorrow.
