When our forebears returned home from the Second World War and 'started families', they didn't realise they were participating in a catastrophe.The world's population has trebled since 1945, and the 'Baby Boomers' have seen it all. The author's wry comment here is that we don't see much beyond our own generation and the next, so we don't care. Unrestrained hedonism is now the prevailing philosophy of all who can afford it.It could spell disaster for mankind, whose fatal inheritance is, the author asserts, fourfold - the most dangerous aspect being our ability to cut the causes of untimely death. Goodbye Malaria, goodbye TB, hello life over 100...But will the world's population flatten out at 9 billion? Will planet Earth stand it? Can we afford to dismiss nuclear power and GM food?As Greenland falls into the sea and the Gulf Stream thinks hard about staying at home, we should pause for thought. John Bligh's excellent and scholarly study, amply supported by graphs, illustrations, sources and quotations (from Lucretius to Malthus to Richard Dawkins), tells us why, in words of brevity and wisdom.'I hope,' he says, 'and I fear...'