The Wealth of Nations

Recommended by Edward Glaeser, Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics

Adam Smith’s magnum opus created the field of economics, and it remains the best introduction to the economist’s mindset. It is crammed with brilliant observations on questions that remain relevant today. Why do some jobs pay more than others? What’s the best means of paying for new infrastructure investment? It is also beautifully written, filled with the author’s sharp wit. As an added bonus, the book is a valuable historical document that provides a connection to the heart of the Scottish Enlightenment, which did so much to provide the intellectual background for the founding of the United States and its Constitution.