By Adam Smith, 1776, eBook Provided by Pennsylvania State University

An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations is the magnum opus of the Scottish economist Adam Smith, published in 1776 during the Scottish Enlightenment. It is a clearly written account of political economy at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, and is widely (if perhaps incorrectly, see below) considered to be the first modern work in the field of economics. The work is also the first comprehensive defense of free market policies. It is broken down into five books between two volumes.

The Wealth of Nations is often mischaracterised and politicised. As with a good number of literary works of this sort, many people are confident in their opinions regarding the author, the work, and the subject matter, yet have never read it. The book was written for the average educated individual of the 18th century rather than for specialists and mathematicians. Thus, the book remains relatively accessible, even for the modern reader.

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External Links about The Wealth of Nations:

• An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith. Definitive, complete Cannan edition of the 5th edition of the Wealth of Nations.
• An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations Glasgow Edition in PDF format
• Life of Adam Smith, by John Rae, at the Library of Economics and Liberty
• The Adam Smith Myth , by Murray N. Rothbard, excerpt from Chapter 16 of An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Vol. I and II, Edward Elgar, 1995; Mises Institute 2006

External Links about Adam Smith:

General

• Works by Adam Smith at Project Gutenberg
• Biography at the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics
• Life of Adam Smith by John Rae, at the Library of Economics and Liberty
• The Adam Smith Myth , by Murray N. Rothbard, excerpt from Chapter 16 of An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Vol. I and II, Edward Elgar, 1995; Mises Institute 2006
• Smith's works
• Brad deLong's Adam Smith page
• The Adam Smith Institute
• Grave of Adam Smith on the Famous Economists Grave Sites
• Adam Smith - Important Scots
• Reflections on Smith's ethics
• Adam Smith on the 50 British Pound (Clydesdale Bank) banknote

Works

• The Theory of Moral Sentiments at MetaLibri Digital Library
• The Theory of Moral Sentiments at the Library of Economics and Liberty
• The Wealth of Nations at the Library of Economics and Liberty. Cannan edition. Definitive, fully searchable, free online.
• The Wealth of Nations, available freely at Project Gutenberg
• The Wealth of Nations from Mondo Politico Library - full text; formatted for easy on-screen reading.
• The Wealth of Nations from the Adam Smith Institute - elegantly formatted for on-screen reading
• Works and Correspondence of Adam Smith. Glasgow edition, 7 volumes at the Online Library of Liberty. Definitive, free online.

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