The Wealth of Nations Audiobook By Adam Smith cover art

The Wealth of Nations

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The Wealth of Nations

By: Adam Smith
Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
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About this listen

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
Classics Economics Ideologies & Doctrines Philosophy Political Science Politics & Government World Economic Philosophy
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Foundational Economic Text • Insightful Historical Perspective • Excellent Reading Voice • Profound Economic Truths
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The first dozen chapters or so are still useful as an Economics 101 textbook. The middle chapters are more useful now as a history of minute details (right down to current rates of commodities in shillings and thrupence), and (if you look beneath what the author was ostensibly conveying), you will detect the dominant guiding mindsets and attitudes of the time. The last third of the book broadens the subject matter again. During the middle third, I had to take several breaks from it, listening to several other audiobooks during the interim. The author added insight as to the impact of various government systems and measures on an economy.

A Loooong Broad and Detailed Window into the Past

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If you could sum up The Wealth of Nations in three words, what would they be?

Adam Smith is brilliant!!! Being able to listen to the wealth of nations as I commute weather it be on bart or by car is amazing!!!!

Brilliant

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Must read for anyone wanting to understand how the economy and politics work. It is long, but very thorough education in micro and macro economics. Americans looking at the 2024 election would be wise to read this to understand why both parties economic policies are flawed.

The core tenets of Economics

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Very informative and the reader's voice made those hours bearable. I now how a better​ idea of Adam Smith's views.

Longest audiobook I've ever listened to.

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Although it was hard to follow all the technical information, the principles are easier to comprehend. I was most surprised by the fact that I have never heard anyone quote his criticisms of professional education and state enforced qualifications; he basically predicted the decline if modern universities.

great

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Extremely knowledgeable and fairly simple in explaining how the British looked at settled economies

Insightful

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Long, detailed, and dry. BUT, it will provide some of the greatest insight to modern Western Civilization and answer many questions about the current state of nations. History repeats itself.

A must read for everyone

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A really good book that I found to be a pivotal book of the western world. America is designed economically because of this outstanding book. I highly recommend it.

A great book

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This should be required reading for any high school student. It would help people understand what they're missing.

Classic Required Reading

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. I had thought the Smith had anticipated much of our current understanding of the way markets function. Instead, he had all of the fundamentals figured out. I was fearing that it would be quite obscure in topic and language, but found it pleasantly accessible, if perhaps a bit long.

As as reading the classics, I would definitely recommend this.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The market.

What about Gildart Jackson???s performance did you like?

It fit the material.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The Way Your World Works

Amazingly accessible

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