Abstract

These three brief reviews discuss Francesco Billari and Gianpiero Dalla Zuanna's latest book on recent demographic trends in Italy: "La rivoluzione nella culla. Il declino che non c'è" (Milan, Egea, 2008). Each of the three authors examine different aspects of Billari and Dalla Zuanna's proposals, criticising and questioning their analyses and policy suggestions. Stefano Molina agrees on the (demographic) sea change but also underlines that there is no "current" demographic decline in Italy, it has already taken place. Alessandro Rosina concurs on the demographic equation that an immigrant arriving has the same value of an Italian child not being born, but also highlights how population aging remains an unsolved problem in contemporary Italy. Maria Letizia Tanturri points out the lack of a fundamental ingredient for a real demographic revolution: gender equality. The revolution has not yet been realised for Italian women, who are the irreplaceable pillars of the Italian familist welfare regime.