The Population Question
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
The book's core value lies in its broad historical perspective and rigorous empirical analysis. Carr-Saunders does not confine population problems to simple increases or decreases in numbers, but examines them within the complex network of social structure, economic development, resources and environment, and human civilization. He systematically traces the patterns of population change from prehistoric times to modern society, exploring the social, economic, and cultural drivers behind fertility, mortality, migration, and other demographic factors. His exposition of the theory of "optimum population" and his analysis of the relationship between population growth and living standards remain deeply instructive today.
For contemporary readers, the point of reading this classic is not to obtain the latest data or conclusions, but to understand the intellectual origins of fundamental demographic questions. The research method that combines quantitative statistics with qualitative analysis, and the holistic perspective that returns demographic phenomena to their social and historical context, are methodological riches that transcend their era. Amid globalization and demographic transition today, revisiting how this pioneer thought about the enduring tensions between population and resources, technology and welfare, and the individual and the collective can help us examine today's population challenges with greater clarity. The book is plainly written and clearly argued; although some data are outdated, its logical framework and sense of problems remain solid.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Researchers and students interested in sociology, demography, and the history of social development
- Readers who wish to understand the intellectual history and classic theoretical frameworks of population issues
- Practitioners in public policy, urban planning, social security, and related fields
- Readers who enjoy classic social science works with a deep historical perspective
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking the latest demographic data, trend analysis reports, or policy interpretations
- Readers expecting light reading or novel-like narrative
Reading tips
- Read the introduction first to grasp the book's central questions and core arguments
- Combine it with modern demography textbooks or reviews to compare and understand how classic theories have developed and changed
- Focus on its analytical framework and research methods rather than dwelling on specific historical data
About the publisher
The Commercial Press is a publisher known for classic works and academic publishing, with titles spanning Eastern philosophy, foreign literature, world history, social culture, and applied psychology. Its list includes classical commentaries such as Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries on the Analects and Wang Bi's Commentary on the Zhouyi, as well as modern annotated translations like Zhuangzi with Modern Notes and Translation. In foreign literature it offers War and Peace and Crime and Punishment, while in world history it carries Braudel's The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II. Applied psychology is represented by Irvin D. Yalom's Existential Psychotherapy, and ethical texts include a Greek-Chinese-English edition of the Nicomachean Ethics. Its authors and translators include Zhu Xi, Wang Bi, Yalom, Braudel, and translators such as Huang Zheng, Zhang Yiling, Shen Dongyu, and Tang Jialong, balancing the editing of original texts with academic translation.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 出版说明
- 序言
- 第一章 人口论简史
- 第二章 人口问题的基础：（1）数量方面
- 第三章 人口问题的基础：（2）质量方面
- 第四章 人类的繁殖问题
- 第五章 人类的生育力
- 第六章 人类史
- 第七章 渔猎民族
- 第八章 原始农业民族
- 第九章 原始民族的人数调节
- 第十章 有史以来的民族
- 第十一章 有史以来民族的人数调节
- 第十二章 一些现代问题
- 第十三章 质量问题
- 第十四章 环境对动物和植物的影响
- 第十五章 环境对人类的影响
- 第十六章 人类的遗传
- 第十七章 身体性状的进化
- 第十八章 精神性状的进化
- 第十九章 传统的性质
- 第二十章 传统的起源
- 第二十一章 传统与遗传的相对重要意义
- 第二十二章 结论
FAQ
What is this book's Douban rating?
What is the book mainly about?
What is the author Carr-Saunders's academic background?
Comments
Find this book
This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
A. M. Carr-Saunders is the author of the book Population Problems. Publicly available information about this author is quite limited: no clear record has been found of the English name, nationality, dates of birth and death, and further verification is needed. From the available information, Carr-Saunders's name is closely tied to the subject of population, and the book is classified under social sciences, indicating that its discussion centers on the relationship between social structure and changes in human populations. Population studies often involve issues such as fertility, mortality, migration, and resource distribution, requiring the author to maintain a balance between sorting through data and clarifying concepts. Although only one work by this author is held in the collection, readers can still gain a sense of the basic lines of argument and areas of concern through Population Problems. Since the author's background remains insufficient, further speculation about their experience is not appropriate; readers may instead use the text itself as an entry point to grasp the threads of thought left in this field.
