"Originally published in 1901"--T.p. verso.

First published in 1776, Smith's "primer" provided the first description of the workings of a market economy. This unabridged edition offers the modern reader a fresh look at a timeless work that revolutionized the way the creation and dispersion of wealth are viewed.

Adam Smith’s masterpiece, first published in 1776, is the foundation of modern economic thought and remains the single most important account of the rise of, and the principles behind, modern capitalism. Written in clear and incisive prose, The Wealth of Nations articulates the concepts indispensable to an understanding of contemporary society; and Robert Reich’s Introduction both clarifies Smith’s analyses and illuminates his overall relevance to the world in which we live. As Reich writes, “Smith’s mind ranged over issues as fresh and topical today as they were in the late eighteenth century—jobs, wages, politics, government, trade, education, business, and ethics.” Introduction by Robert Reich • Commentary by R. H. Campbell and A. S. Skinner • Includes a Modern Library Reading Group Guide

"The Wealth of Nations" is the famous work by Adam Smith. In addition to theoretical analysis of the functioning of so-called commercial societies, the advantages and problems associated with the division of labor, value, income distribution, and capital accumulation, the book brings historical considerations and abundant empirical material, being considered a turning point in the development of the history of economic thought. Published in the same year as the Declaration of Independence of the United States, the work laid the foundations of thought for economists, politicians, mathematicians, biologists, and thinkers in all fields. "The Wealth of Nations" represented a clear paradigm shift in the field of economics, comparable to Charles Darwin's work on the origin of species for biology. As one of the most cited books of all time, "The Wealth of Nations" is a work that undoubtedly deserves to be read.

An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations is a text by economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith. It provides one of the world's earliest collected accounts of what creates prosperity in countries.

Few writings are more often cited as a cornerstone of modern economic thought than those of Adam Smith. Few are less read. The sheer strength of his great work, The Wealth of Nations, discourages many from attempting to explore its rich and lucid arguments. In this brilliantly crafted volume, one of the most eminent economists of our day provides a generous selection from the entire body of Smith's work, ranging from his fascinating psychological observations on human nature to his famous treatise on what Smith called a "society of natural liberty," The Wealth of Nations. Among the works represented in this volume in addition to The Wealth of Nations are The History of Astronomy, Lectures on Jurisprudence, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, and Smith's correspondence with David Hume. Before each of Smith's writings Robert Heilbroner presents a clear and lively discussion that will interest the scholar as much as it will clarify the work for the non-specialist. Adam Smith emerges from this collection of his writings, as he does from his portrait in Professor Heilbroner's well-known book, as the first economist to deserve the title of "worldly philosopher."

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.

The Wealth of Nations is the magnum opus of the Scottish economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith. The book offers one of the world's first collected descriptions of what builds nations' wealth, and is today a fundamental work in classical economics. By reflecting upon the economics at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the book touches upon such broad topics as the division of labor, productivity, and free markets. The Wealth of Nations was the product of seventeen years of notes and earlier works, as well as an observation of conversation among economists of the time concerning economic and societal conditions during the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The result was a treatise which sought to offer a practical application for reformed economic theory to replace the mercantilist and physiocratic economic theories that were becoming less relevant in the time of industrial progress and innovation.