On The Wealth of Nations, P. J. ORourke
On The Wealth of Nations, P. J. ORourke
3 Rating(s)
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On The Wealth of Nations

Author: P. J. O'Rourke

Narrator: Michael Prichard

Unabridged: 5 hr 42 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/15/2007

Synopsis

Recognized almost instantly upon its publication in 1776 as the fundamental work of economics, The Wealth of Nations was also recognized as really long: the original edition totaled over 900 pages in two volumes—including the blockbuster 67-page "digression concerning the variations in the value of silver during the course of the last four centuries," which, according to P. J. O'Rourke, "to those uninterested in the historiography of currency supply, is like reading Modern Maturity in Urdu." Although daunting, Smith's tome is still essential to understanding such current hot topics as outsourcing, trade imbalances, and Angelina Jolie. In this hilarious, approachable, and insightful examination of Smith and his groundbreaking work, O'Rourke puts his trademark wit to good use and shows us why Smith is still relevant, why what seems obvious now was once revolutionary, and why the pursuit of self-interest is so important.

About P. J. O'Rourke

P. J. O'Rourke (1947-2022) was an author, journalist, and political satirist who wrote twenty-two books on subjects as diverse as politics and cars and etiquette and economics. Parliament of Whores and Give War a Chance both reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. After beginning his career writing for the National Lampoon, O'Rourke went on to serve as foreign affairs desk chief for Rolling Stone, where he reported from far-flung places. Later he wrote for a number of publications, including the Atlantic, the Daily Beast, the Wall Street Journal, and the Weekly Standard, and was a longtime panelist on NPR's Wait Wait . . . Don't Tell Me.

Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Dutch on 2008-01-10 16:36:32

P.J. O'Rourke has read Adam Smith so you don't have to. And fortunately, O'Rourke isn't just a very witty writer, he's pretty darn smart. Adam Smith's writing is dense and his love of endless run-on sentences makes his arguments hard to follow. O'Rourke allows the vast majority of us who have no intention of ever reading Smith's 900 page tome to appreciate what a remarkable creation it was. Smith not only revolutionized the way we think about our economic lives, his thoughts on our our political lives were equally insightful. O'Rourke actually makes all this fun and interesting, and the reader, Michael Prichard, reads with just the right dry irony to match O'Rourke's writing style.

Goodreads review by Bill on February 01, 2012

Some of Smith's most interesting and influential ideas channeled through the wit and insight of O'Rourke. This is either a substitute for or prelude to reading Smith's bible of economic theory and observations, I haven't decided which yet. But it's remarkable how relevant Smith's ideas are to this da......more

Goodreads review by Paul on September 12, 2017

If you're like me, you've long had an itching curiosity to read Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations (Modern Library Classics). But after picking up his 1000-page tome and thumbing through a few sections, your itch is soon forgotten. After all, how much is there to say about 18th century economics? An......more

Goodreads review by Brad on October 06, 2008

In these "interesting" economic times, everyone would benefit from the one-two punch of P.J. O'Rourke's "On The Wealth of Nations" for a historic basis of modern economics and "Eat The Rich" as the pragmatic practice of economics in today's world (okay, the world of 1999, when the book was written).......more

Goodreads review by Sam on August 21, 2016

This is an entry in the Books That Changed the World series from Atlantic Monthly Press, in which various pundits produce short and accessible interpretations of the type of fat, difficult book we all know we should read but just can't seem to get around to (Das Kapital, The Origin of Species...) Ca......more

Goodreads review by Brian on March 31, 2015

"The man of System...is apt to be very wise in his own conceit; as is often so enamored with the supposed beauty of his own ideal plan of government, that he cannot suffer the smallest deviation from any part of it..He seems to imagine that he can arrange the different members of a great society wit......more

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