The Wealth of Nations cover art

The Wealth of Nations

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

The Wealth of Nations

By: Adam Smith
Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £23.24

Buy Now for £23.24

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 Political Science Politics & Government World Money Capitalism Taxation Socialism Inspiring Employment Imperialism Banking Middle Ages Latin American Business United Kingdom Africa Law Self-Determination
All stars
Most relevant
The narration was just excellent. This book is much more than just economics, a must have for everyone regardless of what one is interested.

Gildart Jackson is the perfect choice to narrate

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It’s a true classic read but it’s (predictably) quite laborious/tedious. I couldn’t finish it but enjoyed the first 50-70% before I gave up.

A classic but heavy going!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
invisible hand is an angelic construction. Adam smith was a great philosopher and economist that over turned merchantile tariff driven pre smith economics.

Seminal work ten stars

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very well read, by a clear- & well-intoned reader, & putting forward economically foundational & politically intriguing positions (which inform a historical & contemporary understanding of Western poltical-economy), I found this book, nonetheless, quite dull - which is a pity. In part, this perceived flaw is a result of the format - audiobooks being less well-equipped to engagingly & comparatively present statistical & numerical data than the printed page -, but it should also be born in mind that I finished it, an event unlikely (I should imagine) if I were to attempt to read the printed text. I'm thinking of this as an 'important' book, but which I hope never to read (or hear read) again.

Important, but dull

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The content of the book is certainly remarkable but it is excessively long and detailed in some chapters. The narrator speaks clearly but without any engagement with the text. He is so monotone that you can feel the narrator's boredom while listening to him. Overall, the narration is not enjoyable. I would definitely not recommend this audiobook to anyone despite its occasionally highly interesting contents.

Not a pleasant listening despite its greatness

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews