This is the first chapter of C.K. Prahalad's book "the Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid." The premise of the book is that "if we stop thinking of the poor as victims or as a burden and start recognizing them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs and value conscious consumers, a whole new world of opportunities will open up. Four billion poor can be the engine of the next round of global trade and prosperity." Published by Wharton School Publishing, 2004.