▁October ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁over ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁readers ▁of ▁Pro spect ▁magazine ▁of ▁the ▁UK ▁and ▁Foreign ▁Policy ▁magazine ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁ranked ▁him ▁as ▁number ▁ 1 3 ▁on ▁the ▁joint ▁survey ▁of ▁the ▁world ' s ▁Top ▁ 1 0 0 ▁Public ▁Intel lect uals ▁Pol l . ▁ ▁U . S . ▁pres idents ▁from ▁both ▁major ▁parties ▁have ▁pra ised ▁De ▁S oto ' s ▁work . ▁Bill ▁Cl inton , ▁for ▁example , ▁called ▁him ▁" The ▁world ' s ▁greatest ▁living ▁econom ist ", ▁George ▁H . ▁W . ▁Bush ▁declared ▁that ▁" De ▁S oto ' s ▁pres cription ▁offers ▁a ▁clear ▁and ▁prom ising ▁alternative ▁to ▁economic ▁st agn ation … " ▁Bush ' s ▁prede cess or , ▁Ron ald ▁Re agan ▁said , ▁" De ▁S oto ▁and ▁his ▁colle agues ▁have ▁exam ined ▁the ▁only ▁lad der ▁for ▁up ward ▁mob ility . ▁The ▁free ▁market ▁is ▁the ▁other ▁path ▁to ▁development ▁and ▁the ▁one ▁true ▁path . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁people ' s ▁path … ▁it ▁leads ▁somewhere . ▁It ▁works ." ▁His ▁work ▁has ▁also ▁received ▁pra ise ▁from ▁two ▁United ▁Nations ▁secret aries ▁general ▁K of i ▁Ann an ▁– ▁" H ern ando ▁de ▁S oto ▁is ▁absolutely ▁right , ▁that ▁we ▁need ▁to ▁re th ink ▁how ▁we ▁capture ▁economic ▁growth ▁and ▁development " ▁– ▁and ▁J avier ▁Pérez ▁de ▁Cu é ll ar ▁– ▁"