Book Reviews › Money › The Mystery of Capital
Honest review · Money
The Mystery of Capital
by Hernando de Soto
Why capitalism works in the West and fails elsewhere: property rights and legal title turn assets into capital. Hugely influential thesis.
Read it if…
you want one idea that explains a lot about development.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you want critiques of property-rights reform.
Try instead: Dead Aid →
Three things you will actually use
- Title unlocks capital.
- Informality is not freedom.
- Law makes assets work.
Do this first
Read the chapter on dead capital.
Our verdict
Dead capital.
See the book →
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