On the Wealth of Nations
by P. J. O'Rourke · first published 2007
25% recommend75% neutral
An upbeat dissemination of Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" and "The Theory of Moral Sentiments" condenses and illuminates the key points of the original works while discussing how their messages remain relevant.
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…Engineering Economics text may be useful. And I second the other commentors who suggested Jane Jacobs's "Economics of Cities" and "Cities and the Wealth of Nations" and O'Rourke's "Eat the Rich", his "On the Wealth of Nations", an analysis of Adam Smith's classic is also worth reading.
on “Ask HN: Getting a grip on economics” ↗P J O'Rourke On the Wealth of Nations does an entertaining and fairly accurate job of "condensing" it. ISBN 0-8021-4342-3
on “Ask HN: Best book(s) to learn about the basics of economics?” ↗While the Wealth of Nations was a great book for its time, I suspect that the time it takes to read it would be better spent reading four shorter economics books. I do recommend P. J. O'Rourke's book On The Wealth Of Nations, though, which summarises and discusses the whole thing in a hundred pages.
on “Economics in One Lesson” ↗…to proclaim allegiance to Marxist thought. An interesting fact about free-enterprise (Marx might say, "capitalist") economies is that they are based in part on the writings of Adam Smith in the book On the Wealth of Nations. But before Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations, he first wrote a book called The Theory of Moral Sentiments, pondering what motivates human beings to behave morally. Smith had deeper insight into human…
on “The Secret Document That Transformed China” ↗…hands of the one set of people than in those of the other. A great part of the capital of the country is thus thrown in the hands in which it is most likely to be employed with advantage." Adam Smith - On The Wealth Of Nations
on “Harsh lessons we may need to learn again” ↗Minor point, but On The Wealth of Nations has nothing to say for or against Capitalism.
on “The first open company” ↗…to transaction types (e.g.: use currency A for large and multi-region transactions, use B generally for local/smaller transactions). On England's tri-metalism, Adam Smith discusses this at length in On the Wealth of Nations. The standards date to Roman times (copper basis), with silver emerging from the Saxon tribes, and gold from mainland Europe.
on “A Capitalist’s Dilemma, Whoever Wins the Election” ↗Is it ironic? Europe's great modern wealth is socialist capitalism. The original canonical work on capitalism, Adam Smith's "On the Wealth of Nations" lays this out clearly.
on “Wealth doesn't trickle down – it just floods offshore, research reveals (2012)” ↗…completely inaccurate. England did not "take over" Scotland. There was no invasion or conquest, as in Ireland. The two countries voluntarily merged, scotland was represented in the British parliament and so on. The Wealth of Nations is not weitten about England. Smith was describing the society around him, in Scotland, many of the examples given in the book are directly taken from his everyday observations in the central belt of…
on “Professors Make More Than a Thousand Dollars an Hour Peddling Mega-Mergers” ↗