Books
My books explore how population change intersects with politics, identity, and power. Whether revealing the human stories behind demographic data or challenging the ideologies that distort it, I aim to help readers see how understanding population trends can guide better choices—for communities, institutions, and the future we share.
Toxic Demography: Ideology and the Politics of Population
Oxford University Press | November 2025
Toxic Demography reveals how population dynamics—fertility, mortality, and migration— are deeply entangled with ideology, identity, and nationalism. The book traces the ideological hijacking of demographic trends from historical manipulations to today’s debates about the pandemic, global fertility decline, and fears of national replacement. Through a multidisciplinary lens, it exposes how political actors use population narratives to advance power and exclusion—and what it will take to reclaim population science for truth, equity, and shared progress.
- Connects the most fundamental population changes in human history to political ideologies and cultural narratives
- Shows how demographic data have been manipulated—from past empires to modern populist movements
- Offers a global comparative perspective underscoring the universal relevance of demographic distortion
8 Billion and Counting: How Sex, Death, and Migration Shape Our World
W.W. Norton | 2022
8 Billion and Counting takes readers on a global journey through the forces that shape our demographic future—birth, death, and migration—and the political choices they demand. Drawing on data and stories from around the world, the book reveals why population trends are not destiny but opportunity, offering a hopeful roadmap for how leaders and citizens can use demographic insight to build more equitable, resilient societies.
Praise & Coverage
- Kirkus Reviews: “An articulate, absorbing examination of where the demographic road is leading.”
- Next Big Idea Club: Season 18 Nominee, selected by Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink.
- McKinsey — Author Talks: Featured in an in-depth interview exploring the book’s central arguments.
- Bloomberg: Highlighted in the Weekend Interview, “There Is No Demographic Crisis. Only a Crisis of Care.”
A Research Agenda for Political Demography
Edward Elgar | 2021 (Editor)
This edited volume brings together leading scholars to chart the future of political demography—the study of how population dynamics shape governance, security, and social change. It outlines key research directions and frameworks for understanding the political implications of global demographic shifts.
Other Books
The Future Faces of War: Population and National Security
Praeger | 2011
In this book, I explore how population trends influence international security, state power, and conflict. It was among the first works to bring demographic analysis into mainstream discussions of strategy and defense policy, offering insights still relevant to today’s geopolitical landscape.