Failing and successful countries
"An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations" - or The wealth of Nations in short - by Adam Smith was published in 1776. It´s one of the most fundamental books within economics.
But if you´re interested in a more recent piece of work, here are two of my favorites:
Erik Reinert´s "How rich countries got rich and why poor countries stay poor"
and "Why Nations fail" by Daron Acemoglu and James A Robinson.
Still haven´t finished all of "Why nations fail", but find it very relevant when writing about my own country - Norway - and how our wealth have been built and distributed. Acemoglu and Robinson write about how important it is to have an elite that is not extractive, a strong middle class and a set of institutions to be able to distribute wealth and create growth. A description that fits very well with Norway in the late 60s, when oil was first discovered in the North Sea.