Adam Smith: Father of Economics

A dazzlingly original account of the life and thought of Adam Smith, the greatest economist of all time

Adam Smith (1723-1790) is now widely regarded as the greatest economist of all time. But what he really thought, and the implications of his ideas, remain fiercely contested. Was he an eloquent advocate of capitalism and individual freedom? A prime mover of "market fundamentalism"? An apologist for human selfishness? Or something else entirely?

In Adam Smith, political philosopher Jesse Norman dispels the myths and caricatures, and provides a far more complex portrait of the man. Offering a highly engaging account of Smith's life and times, Norman explores his work as a whole and traces his influence over two centuries to the present day. Finally, he shows how a proper understanding of Smith can help us address the problems of modern capitalism. The Smith who emerges from this book is not only the greatest of all economists but a pioneering theorist of moral philosophy, culture, and society.

• Edmund Burke: The First Conservative
• Capitalism in America: A History
• The Infidel and the Professor: David Hume, Adam Smith, and the Friendship That Shaped Modern Thought
• Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World
• The Theory of Moral Sentiments (Penguin Classics)
• Edmund Burke: The First Conservative
• Money and Government: The Past and Future of Economics
• The Club: Johnson, Boswell, and the Friends Who Shaped an Age
• De Gaulle
• Churchill: Walking with Destiny