# Poverty and Prosperity The Principles That Build Civilizations and the Policies That Ruin Them 1st edition [![Poverty and Prosperity](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fpnp-cover.jpg&w=3840&q=85)](#poverty-and-prosperity) Buy Now or Learn more → ### Some reviews 5 out of 5 stars "A phenomenal book. If you like Taleb's books, you will love this one." ![Avatar of Kris Heyndrikx](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fkris-heyndrikx.jpeg&w=3840&q=85) Kris Heyndrikx Author ### About the book Productive societies redistribute prosperity; unproductive ones redistribute poverty. We live in an age of unprecedented wealth, yet our prosperity hangs by a thread. I watch with concern as politicians erode its foundations while most journalists and voters, who elected them, look away. That's because we take prosperity for granted. But history teaches that poverty, not prosperity, is the norm. And we are always a few bad decisions away from sliding back into it. Venezuela was once South America’s richest nation; today, it is its poorest. We have forgotten how we reached our current position and what it takes to sustain it. Instead of celebrating those who create prosperity, we elect those who redistribute it, until only crumbs remain. We optimize the present while neglecting the future. This book is both a warning and a guide. For wealthy countries, it is a wake-up call: the policy mistakes that can undo decades of progress, and how to spot them before it’s too late. For developing nations, it offers a roadmap to prosperity, showing which strategies work and which do not. Most importantly, it provides everyone with the tools to advocate for better policies, whether at the dinner table or the voting booth. The goal is to help build countries that are wealthier, cleaner, safer, and freer. You’ll learn: * The economic and cultural mistakes that turn abundance into scarcity * How to spot dangerous trends before they reach a breaking point * Practical principles to make societies wealthier, freer, and more resilient Clear, concise, and actionable, Poverty and Prosperity equips you to engage in smarter political conversations, advocate for better policies, and help build a future where prosperity lasts. Available at ![Amazon](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Famazon.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Barnes&Noble](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fbarnes-noble.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Apple Books](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fapple-books.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Google Play Books](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fgoogle-play.png&w=3840&q=85) ### What's inside 1. Part I: Scarcity and Abudance The choices that lead nations to prosperity or poverty. Prosperity arises from creating abundance through efficiency and accountability. A society must produce enough surplus to sustain fairness, health, and sustainability. We need not maximize productivity, but must keep it above a critical threshold: productive nations share prosperity, unproductive ones share poverty. One key to higher productivity is letting wages signal what society values most, allowing unproductive jobs to fade while helping workers transition. Nations thrive when they treat low wages and high prices as structural issues, and falter when they rely on superficial fixes. Examining global policy errors, the book reveals another path to poverty: misplaced priorities, wasteful spending, and swelling opportunity costs. Instead of debating tax rates, we should focus on using existing tax revenues wisely. 2. Part II, Virtue and Decadence? We investigate the cultural roots of prosperity and decline. Nations decay when they chase luxuries before meeting basic needs or confuse haste with progress. The dangers of groupthink deserve special attention, especially in identity politics, where the urge to protect 'our own' can sometimes excuse poor behavior. As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions; therefore, intentions must be subordinate to outcomes. 3. Part III, Utopia and Dystopia Democracy’s paradox: many autocracies arose from democratic roots. What warning signs signal decline, and how can we reverse it? It also examines the foundations of civilization and the need to protect rights even for our opponents. Finally, it warns against the illusion that the end justifies the means: coercion cannot build utopia, but creates dystopia. But does this make utopia impossible? I offer an optimistic perspective and a possible way forward. ### About the author ![Luca Dellanna](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fluca-portrait.jpg&w=3840&q=85) Luca Dellanna is the author of more than ten books. He is a researcher in adaptive systems and a management advisor. Luca has also been teaching risk management and related topics for over ten years at the University of Genoa (as an external lecturer), and frequently gives guest lectures at many public and private institutions. He has been a speaker at some of the most prestigious conferences and podcasts, such as Nudgestock (the largest behavioral sciences conference) and Econtalk (twice). He has been featured on The Spectator and other famous newspapers. Luca lives in Turin, Italy, though he also frequently spends time in Singapore. Part of Luca's portfolio / trusted by leaders at… ![Société Génerale](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fsociete-generale.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Shopify](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fshopify.png&w=3840&q=85) ![DuPont](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fdupont.png&w=3840&q=85) ![McKinsey and Company](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fmckinsey.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Markel Group](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fmarkel.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Standard Chartered](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fstandard-chartered.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Marriott](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fmarriott.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Genova University](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fgenova-university.png&w=3840&q=85) Luca is fluent in EN, IT, FR, ES, and has experience in the following industries: agricultural, automotive, banking, chemical, consulting, consumer services, electronics, fast-moving consumer goods, finance, fintech, food, hospitality, logistics, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, professional services, retail, semiconductors, software, and tech. ## Want to go deeper? 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It's been almost a month since I started implementing the principles, but I can already say that I've noticed a significant improvement in my company's morale \[…\] That feels amazing." ![Avatar of Molson Hart](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fmolson-hart.jpg&w=3840&q=85) Molson Hart CEO, Viahart "Luca's books are amazing." ![Avatar of Niraj Dugar](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fniraj-dugar.jpg&w=3840&q=85) Niraj Dugar Co-Founder, Holistic Wealth "One of the most important books I've read, period. It's short, articulate, and expansive on a singular subject matter — ergodicity, which is really the key ingredient to success in life, marriage, business, family, happiness, health, etc." ![Avatar of Blake Janover](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fblake-janover.jpg&w=3840&q=85) Blake Janover CEO, Janover Inc. "One of the smartest and most thoughtful individuals I've come across \[...\] His insights always stand out." ![Avatar of Kruno Kutnohorski](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fkruno-kutnohorski.jpeg&w=3840&q=85) Kruno Kutnohorski Head of Value Chain, Eplan In the welcome email, you will find: * ✔A guide on how to bring clarity to your teams * ✔A 33% discount code for my book "Best Practices For Operational Excellence" * ✔An archive of my top Twitter threads, including the ones marked with a ⭐️ that are my favorite * ✔A digital copy of my book "The Employee Engagement Handbook", with plenty of concrete advice to increase talent retention and commitment Part of Luca's portfolio / trusted by leaders at… ![Société Génerale](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fsociete-generale.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Shopify](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fshopify.png&w=3840&q=85) ![DuPont](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fdupont.png&w=3840&q=85) ![McKinsey and Company](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fmckinsey.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Markel Group](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fmarkel.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Standard Chartered](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fstandard-chartered.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Marriott](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fmarriott.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Genova University](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fgenova-university.png&w=3840&q=85) Luca is fluent in EN, IT, FR, ES, and has experience in the following industries: agricultural, automotive, banking, chemical, consulting, consumer services, electronics, fast-moving consumer goods, finance, fintech, food, hospitality, logistics, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, professional services, retail, semiconductors, software, and tech. ### Poverty and Prosperity Loading image ![Poverty and Prosperity cover](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fpnp-cover.jpg&w=3840&q=85) ![Top decorative laurel image](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Ftop-laurel.png&w=3840&q=85) Luca's latest book ![Bottom decorative laurel image](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fbottom-laurel.png&w=3840&q=85) ![Top decorative laurel image](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Ftop-laurel.png&w=3840&q=85) Expected: Nov 2025 ![Bottom decorative laurel image](https://luca-dellanna.com/_next/image?url=%2Fbottom-laurel.png&w=3840&q=85) Buy Now