A rigorous defense of free markets and open enterprise in the tradition of Adam Smith. During the 20th century, Vietnam and Poland were both victims not only of devastating wars, but also of socialist planned economies that destroyed whatever war hadn't already. In 1990, Vietnam was still one of the poorest countries in the world, while Poland was one of the poorest in Europe. But in the three decades since then, both countries have drastically improved their citizens' standards of living and escaped the vicious cycle of national poverty.  In this book Rainer Zitelmann identifies the reasons behind the sensational growth of both nations' economies, drawing out the lessons that other countries can learn from these two success stories. To explain the source of their success, he returns to Adam Smith's 1776 treatise, The Wealth of Nations : the only way to overcome poverty is through economic growth, Smith wrote, and economic freedom is the crucial prerequisite from such growth.  Developments over the past 250 years have proved Smith right. The market economy has led to a global decline in poverty unparalleled in human history. Compare this to the fifty years of "development aid" in Africa that have only entrenched the status quo, and it is clear which approach yields superior results. Despite these strides, almost ten percent of the world's population still lives in extreme poverty. So, what measures actually help to alleviate poverty today? Through a wealth of data and stories from the everyday lives of Polish and Vietnamese people who experienced reforms, Zitelmann demonstrates the persistent relevance of Smith's ideas to economic flourishing in the 21st century.  " How Nations Escape Poverty is a magnificent book in which Zitelmann explains in a sublime manner why freedom is the path to escape from poverty. This is a lesson that politicians need to learn but, above all, Zitelmann's insights must be taken into account by the citizens of those countries that have been devastated by populism, such as Argentina today. The population needs to learn urgently about this matter and, by reading a book like this, citizens will surely demand new reforms from their representatives that will ultimately lead them to prosperity and distance their country from the path of decline. I absolutely recommend reading this book. In it, readers will find case studies, graphs and engaging testimonies that will enlighten those unversed in economics and make them familiar with the reform cycle that led Vietnam and Poland to embrace the ideas of liberty. Of course, this will enable those who read this book to benefit from those insights."  —Manuel Adorni Economist spokesman for the Government of Argentina under President Javier Milei  "The German social scientist and entrepreneur Rainer Zitelmann, in How Nations Escape Poverty: Vietnam, Poland and the Origins of Prosperity , relates what happens when poor nations with onerous planned economies scrap their plans and open themselves up to trade...the recent histories of both Vietnam and Poland teach the same lesson: that a nation can do wonders when it stops trying to manage itself into perfection and shield its citizens from risk." — The Wall Street Journal "Zitelmann's thesis is unashamedly pro-capitalist. His argument is that Poland and Vietnam's successes owe themselves to economic growth focused on wealth creation and enterprise, and the reformers that encouraged it... This is a novel read that brings a different perspective on how the tenets of capitalism are viewed by people in emerging nations. It is also a useful insight into two fascinating countries that are set to play an important part in the 21st century."  — Financial Times  “Read this brilliant, highly readable, inspiring book before the woke cancel culture hears about it! The astonishing tales told here about the miraculous transformation of two seemingly disparate nations—Poland and Vietnam—from socialist sinkholes of misery into vibrant, prosperous, opportunity-rich economies resoundingly reaffirm the truth of the positive, inclusive power of free markets. This book couldn’t be more timely in today’s troubled world.” —Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief, Forbes   “Many great libertarian thinkers were economists or philosophers. Zitelmann is a historian and sociologist. He does not argue theoretically, but empirically. In his book, he shows that development aid and redistribution do not eliminate poverty, but private property, entrepreneurship, and capitalism do.” —John Mackey, co-founder, Whole Foods Markets   “Anti-capitalists believe that the economy is a zero-sum game. They want to help the poor by taking money away from the rich. They want to help poor countries through development aid. Based on scientific studies, Zitelmann shows that this concept has never worked. But as soon as people are given more economic freedom, their standard of living improves dramatically, as Zitelmann demonstrates through t