Called it People of Plenty

[GoodTaste]

Among the most striking developments of the immediate postwar era was the rapid extension of a middle-class lifestyle and outlook to an expanding portion of the population. The historian David Potter published an influential examination of "economic abundance and American character" in 1954. He called it People of Plenty. For the American middle class in the 1950s, at least, it seemed an appropriate lable.
Source: The Unfinished Nation by Alan Brinkley (page 789)

What does "it" refer to? It sounds a bit weird to me equating "it" with "people" and reminds me of the book "A Child Called It" - which in that context was insulting.

The author followed "He called it People of Plenty" with "For the American middle class in the 1950s, at least, it seemed an appropriate lable." Here the people is the middle class and its meaning is crytal clear. But without this following sentence, how do you figure out "it"? Grammatically, it appears referring to "economic abundance and American character" and equating it with "people" seems not natural enough and requires addional information (how about "an influential examination of a class of "economic abundance and American character"?) . I am not sure.

 

[5jj]

The historian David Potter published an influential examination of "economic abundance and American character" in 1954. He called it People of Plenty.

Potter called his influential examination of "economic abundance and American character" People of Plenty.

 

[GoodTaste]

Potter called his influential examination of "economic abundance and American character" People of Plenty.

Is it simply the title of his book?

 

[Rover_KE]

We don’t know what form his examination took.

 

[Skrej]

It is a book.