On the Wealth of Nations

The stock market’s in the doldrums and August is coming up when everyone goes on holiday. But I would guess many of my readers will not be going far, or not at all. You may need some lightweight tome to read on your sofa or on the beach though, so here is a book I have just finished and can recommend.  

It’s called “On the Wealth of Nations” by P.J. O’Rourke. First published in 2007 and claiming to be a New York Times Bestseller, it’s a digest and analysis of that venerable book of the same title by Adam Smith which was published in 1776. I tried reading that book many years ago but found it heavy going. It’s long and in a somewhat archaic style but it was the foundation of much subsequent thought in economics. For anyone interested in the worlds of business and finance, it provides a primer on the division of labour, productivity, and free markets.

P.J. O’Rourke is a very unlikely person to take a stab at popularising Adam Smith’s book but he makes a very fine job of it. He is a comic writer and wit whose reporting on the war in Iraq and in motoring stories in such books as “Give War a Chance” and Holidays in Hell” are also worth reading.

O’Rourke relates much of Smith’s adages, aphorisms, epigrams, insights, observations, maxims, axioms, judicious perceptions and prejudiced opinions (which Smith produced in large numbers) to the modern world. Here’s one example: “The freedom of the market, though of uncertain fairness, is better than the shackles of government, where unfairness is perfectly certain”.

Smith lived before the rise of modern capitalism and the importance of the joint stock company. But he wisely had this to say (as O’Rourke quotes) that as the result of an immense capital divided among an immense number of proprietors [shareholders]:  “It was naturally to be expected therefore, that folly, negligence, and profusion should prevail in the whole management of their affairs”. That’s still true of many companies is it not?

O’Rourke relates two very amusing anecdotes about Smith and his absentmindedness. He is supposed to have gone out into the garden in his dressing gown and, lost in thought, wandered into the road. He walked to Dunfermline, fifteen miles away, before steeple bells broke his reverie and he realised he was wearing his robe and slippers in the midst of a crowd going to church.

At another time, deeply involved in conversation over breakfast, he put bread and butter and boiling water into a teapot and then pronounced it was the worst cup of tea he had ever had.

Some of the issues that Smith discussed in his book such as whether to support free trade or not, what are good taxes or bad taxes, and what level they should be at, are still the subject of topical debate.

In summary O’Rourke’s book is easy reading but still prompts much thought on the world of business, economics and politics.

Roger Lawson (Twitter: https://twitter.com/RogerWLawson  )

You can “follow” this blog by clicking on the bottom right in most browsers or by using the Contact page to send us a message requesting. You will then receive an email alerting you to new posts as they are added.

© Copyright. Disclaimer: Read the About page before relying on any information in this post.