The Wealth of Nations
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
The founding text of free-market economics.
Smith's landmark treatise is the first comprehensive system of political economy, treating economics as a subject in its own right. He argues that the division of labor, free trade, and individuals pursuing self-interest can produce broad prosperity, guided as if by an invisible hand. The book critiques mercantilism and lays out the case for market economies.
This is the source code for how markets, specialization, and incentives create value, which is exactly what founders do at small scale. Reading the original sharpens your intuition for why division of labor and trade build wealth.
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