Lively and provocative, this book analyzes the economic forces that account for poverty, and the myriad social and political issues that result in the world's gross imbalance of wealth. Taking into account questions of population growth and the changing environment, the book presents a plan of action to end the gap between the richest and the poorest. The wealthiest fifth of the developed world's population is fifty times richer than the Third World's poorest fifth, but with the combination of rapid industrial growth in the Third World, development aid, and intelligent management of the economy in the developed world, this can be changed.