How did the wealthy countries really become rich? In this provocative study, Ha-Joon Chang examines the immense pressure that developing countries face from the developed world to adopt certain "good policies" and "good institutions" that are now considered essential for economic development. His conclusions are compelling and disturbing: the developed countries are trying to "kick away the ladder" that they used to reach the top, thereby preventing developing countries from adopting the policies and institutions that they themselves utilized.