Key keywords: national wealth metrics, economic development indicators, GDP alternative measures, inclusive growth policy, sustainable economic welfare, cross-country wealth comparison, national accounting frameworks, multidimensional poverty index, intangible capital valuation Against the backdrop of growing global debate over the limitations of traditional GDP as the sole measure of a country’s prosperity, this month’s curated roundup of economic reads cuts through popular misconceptions to unpack the multifaceted factors that define true national wealth. For decades, policymakers and media outlets have relied almost exclusively on gross domestic product to rank countries by “richness,” but the collection of peer-reviewed papers, institutional reports, and newly published books featured this month challenges that narrow framework. First on the list is the United Nations Development Programme’s 2024 update to its Inclusive Wealth Report, which quantifies national wealth across three core pillars: natural capital (including renewable resources, mineral reserves, and ecosystem services), human capital (measured by educational attainment, health outcomes, and workforce skills), and physical capital (infrastructure, manufacturing capacity, and built assets). The report’s cross-country analysis reveals that 18 countries classified as “high-income” by GDP standards fall into the lower half of inclusive wealth rankings, due to rapid depletion of natural resources and widening inequality that erodes long-term human capital potential. Next, the roundup highlights a newly published study from the National Bureau of Economic Research that breaks down the role of intangible capital – including intellectual property, digital infrastructure, and institutional trust – in driving long-term national prosperity. The study finds that intangible assets now account for 43% of total national wealth across OECD economies, a share that has doubled over the past 20 years, but is rarely incorporated into standard national wealth assessments. The reading list also includes deep-dive case studies: one comparing the divergent long-term wealth trajectories of Norway and Venezuela, two resource-rich nations that adopted vastly different policies for managing oil revenues, and another examining how Rwanda’s targeted investments in public health and gender equality have lifted its inclusive wealth ranking by 32 spots over the past decade, despite moderate GDP growth. For casual readers, policymakers, and finance professionals alike, this month’s reads offer actionable frameworks to move beyond simplistic GDP comparisons and assess a country’s true long-term economic resilience and prosperity.