Customer Reviews

The Life of Adam Smith

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Easy to read in spite of the larger-than-life reputation of Adam Smith. Presents Adam Smith the man as a bit of an absent minder professor who talked to himself.

However, the book shines in connecting Smith's life experiences to their effect on his thinking and writing. Extensive use is made of Smith's correspondence to flesh out ideas presented in his published works. The author is clearly more comfortable with the pedigree of thought behind "The Theory of Moral Sentiment" rather than "The Wealth of Nations", but Smith's ecomonics are still given thorough treatment. The disconnect between Smith's free trade theories and his work as a Commissioner of Customs is explored to the full.

A quick read and a delightful look into the Scottish Enlightenment.

This is an extraordinarily interesting biography, especially for its insight into the very different world of 18th century Scotland. Smith's student start at Glasgow University with six professors, at which and education could be obtained for 10 pounds a year. His first book -- A Theory of Moral Sentiments -- in which he developed his concepts of morality, and which he kept revising along with A Wealth of Nations until his death. His first protest against tariffs -- an import duty on oats into the city of Glasgow, which would be unfair to his students who brought oats and peas from home and lived on 1 or 2 pounds a year for food. Writing is a bit turgid, eighteenth centuryish. Still, I keep thinking about the bits and pieces of the life of this most interesting man.

Those who are not looking for an academic biography should check out Adam Smith: The Man and His Works by E. G. West. It's concise, elegantly written, and keenly insightful. Only specialists and academics need bother with Ross's tome.