The basic argument of the book is summarized in a 1969 review by Bruce Trumbo:[2] In response, they suggest a system of triage in which the United States must "divide the underdeveloped nations into three categories: 1) Those so hopelessly headed for or in the grip of famine (whether because of overpopulation, agricultural insufficiency, or political ineptness) that our aid will be a waste; these "can't-be-saved nations" will be ignored and left to their fate; 2) Those who are suffering but who will stagger through without our aid, "the walking wounded"; and 3) Those who can be saved by our help.

Using the triage system they hoped to avoid a broader catastrophe and stabilize the global population.

[4] Paul R. Ehrlich, who wrote bestseller The Population Bomb along similar lines the following year, lavishly praised the book, calling it courageous for daring to address the problems of the age in a concrete way, and one of the most important books of our age.

[5] Others criticized the use of extrapolated, and sometimes incorrect, statistics and assumptions to make such drastic and consequential conclusions.

This was addressed through policies such as public food distribution and work-for-food programs, alongside the adoption of technology and hybrid seeds to enhance food production - the Green Revolution - the situation changed drastically over the final decades of the 20th century.