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After the Spike: Population, Progress, and the Case for People

Economists Dean Spears and Michael Geruso examine the global decline in birth rates and the possibility that population will peak and then contract for generations. They challenge both apocalyptic overpopulation narratives and the assumption that fewer people automatically mean greater prosperity or environmental relief. Drawing on demographic and economic evidence, the authors explore what sustained decline could mean for innovation, caregiving, public finance, communities, and human opportunity. The book makes a case for valuing future people while supporting reproductive freedom, asking how societies can make family formation more compatible with health, equality, and flourishing.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: 2025
Format: Print edition
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781668057339

Subjects

Demography Population Studies Economics

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Interview with the Author

4 available interview links

1. The New Liberal Podcast — What happens to humanity after the spike? ft. Dean SpearsChecked

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2. Hear This Idea — Dean Spears on the Case for PeopleChecked

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3. Backstory: How Research Papers in Economics Get Made — Backstory: Dean Spears on After the Spike: Population, Progress and the Case for PeopleChecked

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4. Thinkers & Ideas — After the Spike with Dean Spears and Michael GerusoChecked

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