The Mystery of Capital - Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else by Hernando DeSoto

DeSoto claims that easy access of everyone, rich and poor, to the national system of legal property ownership makes the adding of value and business formation and accumulation of assets possible. He says in Peru, Haiti, and other places he has investigated, it is virtually impossible to acquire legal status for property and businesses unless you are in the "bell jar" (elite). Those in the bell jar can't see the dilemma of those outside and don't want to make it easy for them. Most developing and former communist countries want to impose legal ownership from top down. DeSoto has analyzed the rather recent success of Western countries who recognized local "non-legal" titles and agreements and went bottom-up. This is the only way to succeed, he says. "Protestant ethic" explanations are spurious.