Amazon.com description: Product Description: The world is a better place than it used to be. People are healthier, wealthier, and live longer. Yet there are gaping inequalities between people and nations. In The Great Escape, Angus Deaton tells the remarkable story of how, beginning 250 years ago, some parts of the world experienced sustained progress, opening up gaps and setting the stage for today's disproportionately unequal world. Here Deaton addresses what needs to be done to help those left behind. He suggests alternative efforts that will allow the developing world to bring about its own Great Escape. Demonstrating how changes in health and living standards have transformed our lives, The Great Escape is a powerful guide to addressing the well-being of all nations.