An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

The founding work of modern economics, Adam Smith’s monumental treatise explains how nations grow rich through the division of labor, free markets, and the pursuit of self-interest guided as if by an ‘invisible hand’ toward the general good. Ranging across trade, money, wages, and the proper role of government, Smith mounts a powerful case against mercantilism and for economic liberty. Published in the revolutionary year 1776, it reshaped how the world understands wealth, commerce, and prosperity, and it remains the intellectual foundation of capitalism and economic policy. Vast, learned, and endlessly influential, The Wealth of Nations is one of the most important books ever written on how societies create and distribute wealth.