Where Does Money Come From, Karl? The Nature of Wealth and the Causes of Poverty

Renowned economist and financier Elena Kotova writes about Russia's eternal search for its special path of development from the early 20th century to the present day. She compares it with the most vivid pages of the economic history of the USA, Germany, and the UK, when they were at a crossroads, choosing how to develop their countries.
Where does money come from? Why do people live well in some countries, while in others, including Russia, they do not? The author answers these questions using the most significant economic theories of the past one and a half centuries, starting, paradoxically, with Marx's theory.
Although Karl Marx and his economic theory are associated by many with the failed communist experiment, «Capital» is not a justification for the dictatorship of the proletariat, but rather proves that capitalism contributes to the growth and prosperity of society and the state. Analyzing the largest economic transformations of the 20th century through Marx’s laws helps to understand the reasons for the failures of Russian reforms and shows which direction we should move forward.