World in Danger

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Population control is a touchy topic and Watson attempts to walk gingerly along the path of non-offense. The historical patterns and demographics skip and jump through a variety of countries and areas, always empasizing the enormous surge in population that improved sanitation and medical advances have brought about. Emphasis is placed on the need for more food for expanding world populations and the inability of most developing countries to provide for their people. The effects of Africa's continuing civil wars and the resultant food shortages are not mentioned. China's harsh population-growth policies are treated too lightly, with little attention paid to the human-rights issues involved. An unsuccessful effort.-Eva Elisabeth Von Ancken, Trinity Pawling School, NY