The Wealth of Nations

De: Adam Smith

Narrado por: Gildart Jackson

The foundation for all modern economic thought and political economy, The Wealth of Nations is the magnum opus of Scottish economist Adam Smith, who introduces the world to the very idea of economics and capitalism in the modern sense of the words. Smith details his argument in five books:

• Book I. Of the Causes of Improvement in the Productive Power of Labour
• Book II. Of the Nature, Accumulation, and Employment of Stock Introduction
• Book III. Of the Different Progress of Opulence in Different Nations
• Book IV. Of Systems of Political Economy
• Book V. Of the Revenue of the Sovereign or Commonwealth

Taken together, these books form a giant leap forward in the field of economics. A product of the "Age of Enlightenment," The Wealth of Nations is a must for all who wish to gain a better understanding of the principles upon which all modern capitalistic economies have been founded and the process of wealth creation that is engendered by those principles.

Public Domain (P)2010 Tantor

Necessary reading for any Bernie supporter!

Since the original publication of this economic and social analysis there have been many attempts to prove it wrong (i.e. Socialism) but all have failed miserably at considerable cost in human lives. Too bad they didn't study and apply the lessons here.

A Behemoth to Digest, But Worth Every Minute

Due to the immense size of this work and complexities of the subject, I highly recommend going into this with a plan to get through all five books instead of just going from the beginning to the end. Although I gained such an appreciation of Smith's genius, foresight, and economic acumen (for his time, that resonates accurately today), I'll still need to go back and re-listen to each book (actually, each chapter and part) and supplement with additional research and essays from experts who study Smith and his works constantly.

There are some amazing philosophies that rival even Guardians of the Republic (albeit from an economic paradigm). Smith's presentation of taxes, military service, as well as his simplistic description of division of labour and it's impact throughout the broader economy were my favorite topics.

I usually listen at 3x speed, but had to slow to 2.25x. Although the audio was clear at 3x and comprehensible, the subject matter must be digested and I felt that 2.25 was a decent compromise, although I'm sure listening at 1x speed would be even better, but I've ruined myself forever by usually listening at 3x. The narrator was great, but I only give five stars to narrations that are amazing.

Just like philosophy, the tenets of classical economics should be visited by everyone - regardless of profession or personal interest - in order to understand basics of economic theory and how markets work. There are far too many people out there decrying capitalism and free market economics with no real understanding of how it works or detrimental alternatives.

If history is interesting this is for you.

Here is the thing, this is a textbook and old one but one never the less. So old it has somethings that make the modern mind go. What! Really!

But on the other hand, it gave me the history of a great number of words, fine words like Mump which is one of my all-time favourite words and now I know where it came from. But more than that, it gives us a view into economic thinking some of which is true today other elements are not. But even more, it shows us some of the true things were once fair and they are now not. It is this that really challenged my thinking and for that I am grateful.

One of Civilizations Great works

This did not disappoint. It is one of the seminal works of the ages, and Mr Smith was one of the great thinkers. The scope and breadth of it is really appreciated when you realize he's codifying and quantifying all of this for the first time. If I had my choice it would be compulsory reading for every American High School student.

Spectacular Insights Sluggish Read (Listen to)

The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith, and narrated by Gildart Jackson. This work contains brilliant insights into western economic systems and how they work. It is the basic knowledge one must hold to understand economics. Period Full Stop. Yet, I do not recommend this dazzling work as a read unless you are looking to earn a doctorate in economics (or sociology). If not, do not read this book (or listen to it in this excellent Audible version). It is too laborious and there is nothing in Adam Smith’s work that you cannot more enjoyably learn in dozens of other more modern and readable works on economics.

Here is a description of Smith’s presentation. His titles to his various sections include discussions on the division of labor, the origin of money, commodity pricing, the price of labor, the nature of capital holding, the value of land, the place of agriculture, the rise of and commercial importance of cities, how mercantile systems work, the nature of colonies, the place of treaties, political income, and debt as well as the financing of debt. Great! But in each topic, he reveals his general understanding secretively. Smith does not provide a statement of his findings or a standard rule to be examined. He endlessly talks about the trade at the time of his writing and as he dissects the present state of affairs, one may, from his chatter, gleam general rules. The great effort it takes to weed out Smith’s brilliance is because Smith is a master of limitless minutia on what trade he looks upon to support his insights. Do not be surprised if you find he explains himself by explaining monetary numbers to the penny for thousands of transactions that really get you nowhere in understanding the essential concepts.

Okay, but let me also mention I was very impressed with how he explained the benefit the Kingdom provided its American colonies, how ungrateful they were and why it may be to England’s benefit to dump the non-appreciative colonists. He defends the need for industrialists to take care of their workers and provide a good wage. (Is that where Henry Ford learned that fact?) Amazingly, he never praises nor mentions the concept of trickle-down economics. In fact, the idea never appears in any aspect of his work. According to Smith, the worst governance is that which abides by the capitalist’s wants for the economic system. Mr. Smith is quite a surprise.

One of the best books I have ever read in teaching economics, but still, the worst read I have ever suffered through (with the possible exception of doing legal research on the writings of Sir Eduardo Coke 1532-1634)

Should be read

Should be read instead of heard. Some outdated minutia could be skipped over. To hard to reference in an audio version.

Awesome first hand account of economics.

This book is as relevant today as it was 250 years ago. It's length is well worth the listen for anyone looking to understand economics better.

Very Long

It's very long, although I learned something throughout this book but I'm not motivated to finish it

Great listen! Will listen a few more times!

This has a lot of information and content. Definitely will have to listen to it a few more times. Great to know!

It’s in Ipod but!

Any additional comments?

It’s not friendly for navigating the 36 hour audio book to find the chapters that are of special a interest (0.2 millimeters per chapter). The chapter display on the IPod is too small for navigating. This was not a problem in my earlier downloads 33 hour “Empire of Things” audio book. What am I doing wrong?