Economics
Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations
07/06/24 12:17
This is NOT a book review. Instead I ask the question should you read this book. It is a key work, in a particular point in the development of economics, beloved source of quotations from all sides of politics. But at just shy of a 1000 pages it is a long read.
The quick summary is that it is that it depends on who you are:
As for the rest, most readers will find a cliff notes version and dipping into relevant sections of the full text will suit their rhetorical needs; but be warned you are as likely to find a quote that appears to support the position you want to say Adam Smith supports you on as find one that appears to support the counter position. Read More...
The quick summary is that it is that it depends on who you are:
- professional scholar in economics or humanities - pretty much obligated to read it as a primary source
- person interested in history and / or economics much more of a toss up; its long and while you get to see the emergency of some key ideas in the field, some of those ideas are no longer well regarded, some are bed rock (but not expressed the way we would now) and there are whole new schools of thought that have come since
As for the rest, most readers will find a cliff notes version and dipping into relevant sections of the full text will suit their rhetorical needs; but be warned you are as likely to find a quote that appears to support the position you want to say Adam Smith supports you on as find one that appears to support the counter position. Read More...