Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations is one of the most important books ever written. Smith recognised that economic specialisation and cooperation was the key to improving living standards. He shattered old ways of thinking about trade, commerce and public policy, and led to the foundation of a new field of study: economics.

And yet, his book is rarely read today. It is written in a dense and archaic style that is inaccessible to many modern readers.

In The Condensed Wealth of Nations, Eamonn Butler condenses Smith’s work and explains the key concepts in The Wealth of Nations clearly. It is accessible and readable to any intelligent layman. This book also contains a primer on The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Smith’s other great work that explores the nature of ethics.