Although the authors did not know it at the time, this book had its genesis when its two authors, Dudley L. Poston and Leon F. Bouvier, met for the first time in April 1974 at the annual meeting of the Population Association of America, held that year in New York City. When two demographers meet for the first time, they usually want to tell each other about the demographic research they are conducting and the interesting and important facts and findings they are producing. Strangely, this was not the case when Poston met Bouvier. They found themselves talking not about their research but, instead, about what was then, and still is today, their first love: the teaching of demography.

In the more than thirty-five years since that first meeting, Poston and Bouvier have become very good friends, as have their families. They see each other once or twice a year and communicate frequently by e-mail. In the last twenty years, they have coauthored a book about the population of Texas and several research articles dealing with immigration, congressional apportionment, and the relationship between the two. But, over the years, whenever they were together, their conversations would always seem to lead to their talking about teaching demography. They would talk about the topics they were covering in their classes, the teaching tools and techniques they were using, the books and readings they were assigning, and the importance and relevance of demography to society and the world.