Why Nations Fail by Acemoglu, Daron

THIS BOOK IS about the huge differences in incomes and standards of living that separate the rich
countries of the world, such as the United States, Great Britain, and Germany, from the poor, such
as those in sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, and South Asia. As we write this preface, North Africa and the Middle East have been shaken by the “Arab Spring” started by the so-called Jasmine Revolution, which was initially ignited by public outrage over the self-immolation of a street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, on December 17,2010. By January 14, 2011, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who had ruled Tunisia since 1987, had stepped down, but far from abating, the revolutionary fervor against the rule of privileged elites in Tunisia was getting stronger and had
already spread to the rest of the Middle East.