First published in 2005

The central issue of our times is the unequal income of nations. Its importance outweighs most of the domestic problems in rich countries, and the division of the world into rich and poor has become more significant than the ideological cleavage between communism and capitalism.

There are twenty-five rich countries, but more than 100 countries who are in the lower income range. Two-thirds of the world's population live in the latter group. This study focuses on those countries and looks at economic policy and progress.