The Wealth of Nations
Adam Smith · 1776
The founding text of modern economics. Smith's concepts (the division of labor, the invisible hand, comparative advantage) created the intellectual framework for capitalism and liberal economics. More often cited than read, but the actual book is more humane and more critical of merchants than its reputation suggests.
The case against
Smith's digression on the value of silver alone runs nearly seventy pages. The book sprawls past nine hundred, repeats itself freely, and spends much of its energy refuting mercantilist positions nobody has held for two centuries. The famous ideas live in a handful of chapters. Read those; the rest is an archive you consult, not a book you finish.
Non-Fiction · the Pro canon
The case for it and the rest of the canon open with Pro.
if this one calls to you, so will these →
