Competence, knowledge, knowhow, and ability to learn are necessary skills for any individual, but they are also the resources that allow a country to build its future. How can these skills be developed and promoted? What can schools do and what differences are there among countries? The book helps the reader understand the purpose of human capital in modern society and how it is created and put to use. The schooling system, of course, plays a crucial role.

Piero Cipollone is an economist at the Bank of Italy and is the president of INVALSI (Italy's National Institute for the Evaluation of Educational System).

Paolo Sestino is an economist at the Bank of Italy.