Thank you David for choosing Countdown

Weisman addresses the taboo issue of overpopulation from the perspective of every corner of the world from Palestine to Iran, England to Italy, Costa Rica, the Philippines, China, India, Pakistan, and Niger. The topic is put in political and religious context and from the perspective of globalization. The world population was pretty stable for 200,000 years at 1.6 billion until 1900. With less infant mortality and nearly double life expectancy we now stand at 6.9 billion with 10 billion projected by 2100...but it does not have to be. As the Mormon woman from Utah said, "There is not a single problem on Earth that wouldn't be easier if there were fewer people." Weisman's challenge is "Do we have the will and foresight to make decisions for the sake of descendents we will never know?"