Accessible yet authoritative, these thirty-three readings are essential to the study of population and society. Two basic perspectives--Malthusian and Marxist--are well articulated from start to finish; some selections are classic, while others are contemporary and controversial. Each section begins with an in-depth introduction, making it appropriate for many levels and varied courses in demographic studies, sociology, human diversity, globalization, regionalism, economic development, human ecology, and geography.