ABSTRACT
Eamonn Butler has provided readers with a smart, concise, and engaging introduction to the seminal works of Adam Smith: The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). Butler begins his primer with a discussion of Smith’s contributions to the development of modern economics and, in particular, his emphasis on reconceptualizing wealth. Smith replaces the mere holding of gold and silver (species) by recognizing production as the fount for wealth. This provided a complete recasting of our understanding of economic value creation. Butler places Smith in the correct historical context by stressing his important contributions to our understanding of social order, competition and cooperation, social psychology, ethics, and other fundamental aspects of human nature.
