Description
Thomas Malthus (1766-1834) predicted that population would continue to increase exponentially unless trimmed by famine, pestilence, and war. Macfarlane (anthropological science, King's College) explains how the two island countries managed to escape the predicament. He adds a substantial new Epilogue to the first edition, published by Blackwell in 1997, setting out recent thinking about the issue. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Read More
This book aims to solve the problem of how parts of mankind escaped from an apparently inevitable trap of war, famine and disease in the last three hundred years. Through a detailed comparative analysis of English and Japanese history it explores such matters as the destruction of war, decline of famine, importance of certain drinks (especially tea), the use of human excrement and the effects of housing, clothing and bathing on human health. It also shows how the English and Japanese controlled fertility through marriage and sexual patterns, biological and contraceptive factors, abortion and infanticide.
Read Less