The book suggests that, whereas the majority of the 5billion people in the developing world are getting richer at an unprecedented rate, a group of countries mostly in Africa and Central Asia but with a smattering elsewhere are stuck and that development assistance should be focused heavily on them
याचे प्रमुख कारण म्हणजे युरोपीय देशांची त्याकाळची (साधारण १५०० पर्यंत) समजूत कि जग म्हणजे युरोप, आशिया व आफ्रिका - जे भूभाग जमिनीने एकमेकांस जोडलेले होते/आहेत.