The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time

Sachs’s brief Introduction to The End of Poverty identifies the goal of the book and situates it as both the next step in an important tradition of economic thought and a desirable potential next step of socioeconomic development more broadly. Specifically, by referencing John Maynard Keynes’s essay Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren, Sachs immediately ties his own work to a revered intellectual tradition while also borrowing credibility and portraying his effort as a continuation of the successful work of prior generations.

Sachs explains that achieving the “end of poverty,” as he uses the concept, means ending the extreme poverty of the one-sixth of humanity who continue to fight for minimal survival on a daily basis (note that this study guide uses the figures given by Sachs in 2005 unless otherwise indicated). The importance of this goal is concisely illustrated by connecting it to the then-prominent concern with global terrorism.

Further, Sachs establishes his authority on this topic. In particular, he emphasizes his travel throughout much of the world and his direct involvement with various governments facing a range of economic challenges and crises.

Finally, Sachs makes his purpose plain. He intends to identify the pathway to ending extreme poverty globally with the hope that doing so will make that goal more likely to succeed within the 20-year timeframe he describes.