On the Wealth of Nations: Books That Changed the World (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780802143426)

In On The Wealth of Nations, America's most provocative satirist, P. J. O'Rourke, reads Adam Smith's revolutionary The Wealth of Nations so you don't have to. Recognized almost instantly on its publication in 1776 as the fundamental work of economics, The Wealth of Nations was also recognized as really long: the original edition totaled over nine hundred pages in two volumes--including the blockbuster sixty-seven-page "digression concerning the variations in the value of silver during the course of the last four centuries," which, "to those uninterested in the historiography of currency supply, is like reading Modern Maturity in Urdu." Although daunting, Smith's tome is still essential to understanding such current hot-topics as outsourcing, trade imbalances, and Angelina Jolie. In this hilarious, approachable, and insightful examination of Smith and his groundbreaking work, P. J. puts his trademark wit to good use, and shows us why Smith is still relevant, why what seems obvious now was once revolutionary, and why the pursuit of self-interest is so important.

Author: P. J. O'Rourke
ISBN-10: 0802143423
ISBN-13: 9780802143426
Publisher: Grove Press
Language: English
Published: 12/21/2007
Pages: 256
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 7.84h x 5.31w x 0.66d

Review Citation(s):
New York Times Book Review 01/20/2008 pg. 24