NO BOOK has had more influece on economists" thinkingand economic policy--and by extension on the world popula-and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith.Skeptics of this claim might point out that many of the ideas in The Wealth of Nations can be traced to earlier thinkers and that Smith borrowed liberally from his Frech contemporaries......

It is symbolic that Adam Smith's masterpiece of economic analysis, The Wealth of Nations, was first published in 1776, the same year as the Declaration of Independence.

In his book, Smith fervently extolled the simple yet enlightened notion that individuals are fully capable of setting and regulating prices for their own goods and services. He argued passionately in favor of free trade, yet stood up for the little guy. The Wealth of Nations provided the first--and still the most eloquent--integrated description of the workings of a market economy.

The result of Smith's efforts is a witty, highly readable work of genius filled with prescient theories that form the basis of a thriving capitalist system. This unabridged edition offers the modem reader a fresh look at a timeless and seminal work that revolutionized the way governments and individuals view the creation and dispersion of wealth--and that continues to influence our economy right up to the present day.

Introduction by Alan B. Krueger.

Introduction and Plan of the Work

               BOOK I

Of the causes of Improvement in the productive powers of Labour,

and of the Order according to which its Produce is naturally

distributed among the different Ranks of the People

             CHAPTER I

Of the Division of Labour

             CHAPTER II

Of the Principle which' gives Occasion to the

 Division of Labour

             CHAPTER III

That the Division of Labour is limited by the Extent

 of the Market

             CHAPTER IV

Of the Origin and Use Of Money

             CHAPTER V

Of the real and nominal Price of Commodities, or of their

 Price in Labour, and their Price in Money

       CHAPTER W

Of file component Parts of the Price of Commodities

             CHAPTER VII

Of the natural and market Price of Commodities

           CHAPTER VIII

Of the Wages of Labour

           CHAFFER IX

Of the Profits of Stock

            CHAPTER X

Of Wages and Profit in the different Employments of

 Labour and Stock

PART I. Inequalities arising from the Nature of the

 Employments themselves 

PART U. Inequalities occasioned by the Policy of Europe ..

           CHAPTER XI

Of the Rent of Land

PART I. Of the Produce of Land which always

 affords Rent ...

PART II. Of the Produoe of Land which sometimes does,

 and somdtimes doed not, afford Rent 

PART HI. Of the Variations in the Proportion between the

 respective Values of that Sort of Produce which always.

 affords Rent and of that which sometimes doesand

 sometimes does not afford Rent

Dish.ion concerning the Variations in the Value of Silver

 during the Course of the Four last Centuries

First Period

Second Period

Third Period

Variations in the Proportion between the respective Vahes

 of Gold and Silver

Grounds of the Suspicion that the Value of Silver still

 continues to decrease

Different Effects of the Progress of Improvement upon three

 different Sorts of rude Produce 

First Sort                

Second Sort

Third Sort

Conclusion of the Digression concerning the Variations in the

 Value of Silver

Effects of the Progress of Improvement upon the real

 Price of Manufactures

Conclusion of the Chapter

             BOOK H

Of the Nature, Accumulation, and EmpToyment of Stock

INTRODUCTION

            CHAPTER I

Of the Division of Stock

           CHAPTER II

Of Money considered as a particular Branch of the

 general Stock of the Society, or of the Expence of

 maintaining the National Capital

           CHAPTER IH

Of the Accumulation of Capital, or 6f productive and

 unproductive Labour

           CHAPTER IV

Of Stock lent at Interest

           CHAPTER V

Of the different Employment of Capitals

            BOOK III

Of the different Progress of Opulence in different Nations

            CHAPTER I

Of the Natural Progress of Opulence

           CHAPTER H

Of the Discouragement of Agriculture in the ancient State

  Of Europe after the Fall of the Roman Empire

           CHAPTER III

Of the Rise and Progress of Cities and Towns after the

 Fall of the Roman Empire

           CHAPTER IV

How the Commerce of the Towns contributed to the

 Improvement of the Country

              BOOK IV

Of Systems of political Economy

INTRODUCTION

              CHAPTER I

Of the Principle of the commercial or mercantile System..

             CHAPTER H

Of Restraints upon the Importation from foreign Countries

 of such Goods as can be produced at Home

             CHAPTER m

of the extraordinary Restraints upon the Importation of

 Goods of almost all Kinds, from those Countries with wh

 the Balance is supposed to be disadvantageous

PART I. Of the Unreasonableness of those Restraints

 even upon the Principles of the Commercial System

Digression concerning Banks of Deposit, particularly

 concernin__g that of Amsterdam

PART 11. Of the Unreasonableness of those extraordinary

 Restraints upon other Principles

             CHAPTER IV

Of Drawbacks

             CHAPTER V

Of Bounties

Digression concerning the Corn Trade and Corn Laws

             CHAPTER VI

Of Treaties of Commerce

             CHAPTER VII

Of Colonies

PART I. Of the Motives for establishing new Colonies ..

PART II. Causes of the Prosperity of New Colonies

PART III. Of the Advantages which Europe has derived

 from the Discovery of America, and from that of a

 Passage to the East Indies by the Cape of Good Hope ..

            CHAPTER VIII

Conci~on of the Mercantile System

             CHAPTER IX

Of the Agricultural Systems, or of those Systems of

 Political (Economy, which represent the Produce of Land

 as either the sole or the principal Source of the Revenue

 and Wealth of every Country

              BOOK V

Of the Revenue of the Sovereign or Commonwealth

             CHAPTER I

Of the Expences of the Sovereign or Commonwealth

PART I. Of the Expence of Defence

PART II. Of the Expence of Justice

PART III. Of the Expence of public Works and pubfic

 Institutions

ARTICLE 1st. Of the public Works and Institutions for

facifitating the Commerce of Society

1st, For facilitating the general Commerce of the Society

2dly, For facilitating particular Branches of Commerce ..

ARTICLE 2d. Of the Expence of the Institutions for ,

 the Education of Youth

ARTICLE 3d. Of the Expence of the institutions for the

 Instruction of People of all Ages.

PART IV. Of the Expence of supporting the Dignity

 of the Sovereign

Conclusion of the Chapter

             CHAPTER H

Of the Sources of the general or public Revenue of

 the Society

PART I. Of the Funds or Sources of Revenue which may

 peculiarly belong to the Sovereign or Commonwealth

PART II. Of Taxes

ARTICLE 1st. Taxes upon Rent; Taxes upon the Rent

 of Land

Taxes which are proportioned, not to the Rent, but to the

 Produce of Land

Taxes upon the Rent of Houses

ARTICLE'2d. Taxes upon Profit, or upon the Revenue

arising from

Taxes upon the Profit of particular Employments

APPENDIX TO ARTICLE 1st and 2d.

 Taxes upon the

 Capital Value of Lands, Houses, and Stock

ARTICLE 3d. Taxes upon the Wages of Labour

ARTICLE 4th. Taxes which, it is intended should fall

 indifferently upon every different Species of Revenue

Capitation Taxes

Taxes upon consumable Commodities

             CHAPTER III

Of public Debts

APPENDIX on the Herring Bounty