TOO MANY AMERICANS

by Lincoln & Alice Day ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 12, 1963

The thesis of this book is that the current rate of American population growth constitutes a serious threat to the well-being of posterity and that the size of our population is highly relevant to the fate of people elsewhere in the world. The authors discuss the factors contributing to population growth-- a low death rate, high natality rate, nearly universal marriage and a generally early age of marriage-- and they examine critically the religious and secular beliefs which seem most influential in shaping American attitudes toward family building. They refute the argument that improved technology can effectively provide for an ever-expanding population or that a large population is necessary for military and economic strength. Their position is that a continuous rapid population growth is not only detrimental to future generations but threatens the provision of current social services, in schooling, housing, hospitals, etc. They dismiss certain measures such as sterilization and selective breeding as abhorrent and propose instead making the control of births more effective and creating a favorable cultural climate for the limitations of families. Capably documented for the serious reader, this presents once again the case for a population curb which is securing wider attention and acceptance in most areas.

Pub Date: March 12, 1963

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1963

Categories: NONFICTION