Global poverty is falling rapidly, but in around fifty failing states, the world’s poorest people face a tragedy that is growing inexorably worse. This bottom billion live on less than a dollar a day and while the rest of the world moves steadily forward, this forgotten billion is left further behind with potentially serious consequences, not only for them, but for global stability. Paul Collier pinpoints the issues of corruption, political instability, and inefficient resource management that lie at the root of the problem. He looks at why conventional aid has been unable to tackle problems such as civil wars and the lack of good governance, and puts forward a radical new plan of action, including a new agenda for the G8, which includes more effective anti-corruption measures, preferential trade policies, and, where necessary, direct military intervention. All of these initiatives are carefully designed to help the forgotten bottom billion – one of the key challenges of the twenty first century.