De Soto's "The Mystery of Capital"
This book is highly recommended. A excerpt give you an idea of the theme.
Apparently the inability of nations to effectively formalize the property rights of their citizens explains much about why they remain in poverty, or are unable to implement capitalism properly.
The ability of the United States to do this, which wasn't easy or straightforward, resulted in much of our prosperity.
I had never thought of this angle before, and it explained a lot to me.