"Thomas Multhus's provocative and prescient 1798 work on the dangers of population growth attracted support and violent criticism in equal measure, and has been praised, misinterpreted and remade ever since. Malthus argued, with clarity and logic, that the rate of population growth will always outstrip food production, and that social betterment comes from population control - a perennially relevant argument amid today's concerns over global resources. This new edition of the Essay also includes other writings and diary extracts that show Malthus's intellectual development after his landmark treatise." -- Back of cover.