Poverty is a very heavy topic. To solve the poverty problem and save the poor population, we must first explore the source of poverty. S-curve theory describes how the poor get deeper and deeper into the poverty trap. This book explores the real causes of poverty and proposes solutions to avoid poverty alleviation policies based on misunderstandings. On the basis of a large number of actual investigations and studies, The Essence of Poverty discusses the problems faced by poor people and the reasons for these problems from four aspects.

First of all, poverty is not equal to hunger. Most poor people don't have enough food. The real problem facing the poor is that they cannot get comprehensive nutrition, which will affect their IQ and future, and the next generation will not be able to get rid of poverty.

Secondly, in terms of health, the poor do not pay attention to preventing diseases in advance. Poor people don't do cheap or even free preventive work, but when they really get sick, they often use expensive treatment, such as antibiotics.

Thirdly, regarding education, children of the poor do not want to go to school because they have no money. In many countries, primary schools and even junior high schools are free. The reason for not going to school may be that the quality of school education is low, parents think that the return on investment in education is too long and worthless, and children can't adapt to the elite education system and give up without hope.

Finally, the population problem. The poor lack living security, no insurance, no pension and retirement pension. Children are the only hope for the old man to die. Family planning can't stop the poor from having more children. They will become poorer and poorer, which will lead to a vicious circle.

After reading the essence of poverty, we can deeply understand why the poor are poor. If we lived in the rural area of China 20 years ago, we can deeply understand how true the description in the book is, why our parents lived so hard, and better understand the efforts made by the current government and charities to solve poverty. On the other hand, what the book reveals has a lot of reference significance for us, especially in work and investment, which is a very valuable ideological baptism in a sense.

The poor face many practical difficulties such as insurance, loans, savings and business, which are caused by objective factors such as insurance institutions and banks, as well as subjective factors such as their own way of thinking and behavior. What are these subjective factors?

Not paying attention to primitive accumulation, not delaying enjoyment, inattention, low-level and high-frequency diligence, not daring to take risks for stability, and not having long-term planning are all typical ways of thinking and behavior of the poor. In the face of risks, a sudden disaster will fall into the trap of poverty and will never return to heaven.

These actually give us a lot of warnings. Even if we are not poor at present, if we have many similar ways of thinking and behavior, the poverty trap S curve will exert great destructive power, and we may make no progress in our work, be mediocre, or suffer heavy losses in our investment.

How to avoid falling into this predicament and get rid of the thinking and behavior of the poor may be the biggest inspiration for me after reading this book.