Stuart Gietel-Basten, PhD, is Associate Professor of Social Science and Public Policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. His research explores the causes and consequences of low fertility in east and south-east Asia. He has co-authored an introduction to demography entitled Why Demography Matters and has co-edited a volume entitled Family Demography in Asia.

• Chapter 1. Economic Boom, Demographic Bomb? Chapter 2. Low Fertility, Population Decline, and Aging: Pacific Asia's "Population Problem" Chapter 3. Towards a Multidimensional Measurement of Fertility in Pacific Asia? Chapter 4. Fertility Preferences in Low-Fertility Pacific Asia Chapter 5. Why Does the Two-Child Ideal Turn into a One-Child Intention? Chapter 6. Childlessness and the Retreat from Marriage" Chapter 7. The Two-Child Policy: China's Silver Bullet? Chapter 8. Towards a Holistic View of Childbearing in China Chapter 9. Conclusions

Stuart Gietel-Basten's book traces out very effectively the trends in fertility and population size and structure in the Pacific Asian countries, offers an insightful analysis of the factors keeping fertility low, the policy concerns of their governments, and some approaches to enabling their population to realize their family building desires. His book raises many important issues, in some cases in innovative ways.