The author lays out in this book a clear conceptual map of the world economy. He explained why, over the past two hundred years, wealth has diverged across the planet and why the poorest nations have so far been unable to improve their lot. He explains how to arrive at an in depth diagnosis of a country's economic challenges and the options it faces. He leads readers along the same learning path he himself followed, telling the stories of his own work in Bolivia, Poland, Russia, India, China, and Africa as away to bring readers with him to a deep understanding of the challenges faced by developing countries in different parts of the world. Finally, he offers an intergratd set of solutions to the interwoven economic, political, environmental, and social problems that most challenge the world's poorest societies and, indeed, the world