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"In 1776 Adam Smith (1723-90) wrote The Wealth of Nations, a book so foundational that it has led to him being called the ""father of economics."" Today he is associated with the promotion of self-interest, a defense of greed and a criticism of any governmental ""interference"" in market transactions which, if left to the ""invisible hand,"" will produce prosperity and liberty. Yet if Smith is actually read these associations are more a caricature than a faithful portrait. In this Very Short Introduction, Christopher Berry offers a balanced and nuanced view of this seminal thinker, embedding his fierce defense of free trade, competition, and assault on special interests in contemporary European history, politics, and philosophy. As Berry explores, Smith was more than an economist. In addition to his two major works he also wrote a pioneering study of the history of astronomy as an illustration of the motivations that drive humans to seek answers to questions. He produced, again derived from his Glasgow classroom, an analysis of the development of grammar and language. As Christopher Berry shows, Adam Smith was no narrow thinker, but rather one who produced not only one of the greatest books in the history of social science, but also a wide-ranging body of work that remains significant today."

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Christopher Berry is Professor Emeritus at Glasgow University. In addition to his reputation as a leading scholar of Smith, Hume, and the Scottish Enlightenment, his books include The Idea of Luxury. He has given invited keynote lectures on his work in China, Japan, Chile, USA, and across Europe. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (Scotland's National Academy), of which Adam Smith was a founding member. British-born Julian Elfer is an award-winning New York City-based actor and audiobook narrator with over 100 titles to his credit. Hailed by the New York Times and Wall Street Journal for his lead performance in the Mint Theatre Company's A Day by the Sea, Julian brings a unique facility for characterization in fiction and an empathy for the personalities and events of the past.

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