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The scope of this Dictionary is the past and present determinants and consequences of population trends throughout the world. With the collaboration of an international panel of fifty-seven experts, authors William Petersen and Renee Petersen have included not only the subject matter of demography and related disciplines but the institutional setting and results of research in countries around the world. The subject matter of formal demography is given its proper prominent place. Such terms as cohort are defined, such tools as the life table and the computer are described, and key topics like fertility, mortality, and migration are expounded in essays of some depth. Medical terms that one is likely to find in a work on demography are defined, and there are full discussions of major diseases of the past and of current causes of death. Notable demographic studies are described. Several dozen computer programs, usually labelled only with their acronyms, are identified and described. Other entries detail the effect on population trends of political movements, major religions, and membership in particular ethnic groups. Almost every entry is supplemented by a list of references to sources of additional information. A very full index notes every mention of persons, countries, and major topics of demographic analysis, organizing the Dictionary's great store of information for quick and easy reference. ... Read more

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With the insight and clarity that mark all of Petersens writings, Against the Stream brings together reflections of an unconventional demographer. Thirteen essays on various topics become a cohesive unit by virtue of the authors unique point of view, and the understanding of contemporary events he has gathered in his long mastery of demography is evident in this volume. This tightly knit, compact volume, is a compendium of thought written in a nontechnical manner and about various subjects. ... Read more

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Demography measures human populations, especially with reference to size, density, distribution, and vital statistics. From Birth to Death is a detailed analysis of how population statistics are collected in the United States, particularly by the Bureau of the Census. It describes the errors and other flaws typically found in such data. Petersen draws on his extensive command of demography and also from relevant works on archaeology, anthropology, economics, and sociology.

Petersen sets out the fundamentals of demography and reviews the current proposal to use sampling in the next census. He then reviews examples of how ignoring age and sex structure leads to false conclusions. Chapter 3 explores race and ethnicity and the dilemmas inherent in the necessarily ambiguous definitions of these categories. Chapter 4 analyzes the problems of career women who postpone having children to ages when risks of failure become significant. In chapter 5, Petersen emphasizes both the stupendous decline of world death rates and the new difficulties this creates, and follows with a section on health, addressing the developing expectation that everyone has a right to an expanding denotation of "wellness." Chapter 7 explains that anthropological data on population are neither abundant nor reliable. In chapter 8, the author reviews the two most prominent population theories-Malthus and the fertility transition. In chapter 9, Petersen asks why predictions of future population size, though very often completely wrong, are nevertheless in great demand. In chapter 10, he discusses the pros and cons of state intervention in the control of fertility and efforts to cut family size in less developed countries and their unclear results.

A principal topic of this book is the relative accuracy of population statistics and the degree to which one should accept data as published. The main focus is on the United States and especially on the Bureau of the Census, but general points are sometimes illustrated with examples of how data from other countries should be evaluated. Not only demographers and statisticians but also anyone interested in public policy and its statistical underpinning will find this work both interesting and useful. ... Read more

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From Astrology to Zen, From Witchcraft to Jesus Freaks-A Searching, Quizzical Look at the Cult Explosion ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Publisher: New York, The Macmillan company; Publication date: 1922; Subjects: Medical / Immunology; Science / Life Sciences / Biochemistry; Science / Chemistry / Organic; ... Read more

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A brief introduction to genes and chromosomes and their importance to heredity. ... Read more

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Do you often feel that God drops you into situations for reasons you don't understand? Then shake hands with Jeremiah, a man who lived most of his life with those same feelings. Jeremiah was thrust into a job he didn't want; he was unsuccessful in his mission; and he complained frequently to God about his problems. This Old Testament prophet found out that God's answers are not always immediate. From this study of Jeremiah's life, you too can learn to turn even your most trying times into spiritual stepping-stones. ... Read more