What to Expect When No One's Expecting by Jonathan Last

Jonathan Last is always an enjoyable writer so it was no surprise that this book was an enjoyable read, even if it was, at points, a little dark.

One should certainly read this book critically. I found a few ideas in it that I don't think add up, and I'm pretty sympathetic to Last's overall viewpoint. Nonetheless, his treatment of America's falling birth rate, its causes and implications, is as thorough as it could be without turning into an academic tome.

Most importantly, I think that this book is a critical contribution to the national dialogue in the US. Many Americans have been impervious to the lessons of Europe's more advanced demographic decline and still cling to the mindset of Ehrlich's discredited The Population Bomb.Hopefully this book is just the beginning in a serious public discussion of American demographics, and one that's not dominated by overblown fears of a risk of overpopulation.