Book excerpt: The Demographic Revolution in Modern Egypt tells the dramatic story of Egypt's transition in the last two decades from staggeringly high to low fertility and mortality rates. Scholars Warren C. Robinson and Fatma H. El-Zanaty especially delve into the reasons for the decline in fertility, including the relative success of Egypt's recent public initiatives in family planning. Robinson and El-Zanaty compellingly show the importance of continued demographic stability in Egypt for that nation, the Middle East, and indeed the world. The authors point to Egypt's optimistic progress as a model for other countries facing out-of-control birthrates wreaking havoc with economic and social development.