Product Description

This edition contains generous selections from all five volumes of The Wealth of Nations, and places Smith's inquiry into its historical, intellectual, and cultural context.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5844 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 688 pages

Customer Reviews

A useful crash course on Adam Smith's discourse
I can only describe this particular edition of Wealth of Nations as a useful crash course on Adam Smith's discourse, mindful of the fact that there were five editions of this historically significant work. But then that's the beauty of this condensed compendium.

Most editions available in the market draw on Smith's Wealth of Nation Volume I (Of the causes of improvement), Volume II (Of the Nature, Accumulation, and Employment of Stock) and Volume III (Of the different Progress of Opulence in different Nations) at the most. However, this edition contains healthy inclusions from Book IV (Of Systems of political Economy) and Book V (Of the Revenue of the Sovereign or Commonwealth). For this alone, the editor Kathryn Sutherland deserves credit.

It is not a mouthful but a practical handy book on Wealth of Nations. Those who have never studied economics would enjoy reading it too if they are so inclined, especially students of history and philosophy. Since this is a complex work authored over two hundred years ago, the editor's footnotes and references enhance comprehension.

Yet the wonderful details of Smith's key thoughts have not been stifled in any way - working of the markets, division of labour, general prosperity, government and taxation are all there. In essence, Wealth of Nations remains a true classic and I found this edition of it to be an easy and enjoyable read. Overall, its a handy reference book to have on your bookshelf.

Capitalism by it's first advocate
This 18th Century book is a well-reasoned broadside against mercantilism and state-run monopolies. Suprisingly, it is incredibly easy-to-read, even compared to modern fiction novels, and you can just open it and let your eyes fall where they may. Vital reading for those who promote or oppose the free-market. Read about capitalism from a temperate, intellectual proponent, rather than a right-wing extremist or left-wing radical. Also, important details on the living standards of the factory worker in 18th Century England from someone who actually lived in those times, rather than biased guesswork on the part of later 19th Century writers - it'll change your perspective!

The Great Work of a Great Mind.
Although this book is hailed as one of the greatest works in Economics ever and set the foundations for contemporary Economic thought, the Wealth of Nations is not a good read. It is extremely difficult to digest and requires extreme concentration. Few would read the book unless required in an Economics course or the like. Smith was undoubtedly a genius - way ahead of his time. However, the reader must have as great an intellect to fully comprehend what Smith is writing. Perhaps "user-friendly" books were not the fashion of the times.