The Wealth of Nations

A foundational work of capitalism that irrevocably shaped the study of economics, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), often shortened to The Wealth of Nations, lays out Scottish economist Adam Smith’s analysis on how and why nations build and keep wealth.

It is one of the first works that established a system of political economy, or the study of economic conditions with regard to the surrounding political structure. Within the work, Smith defines many key terms that are still essential to economic understanding to this day, including: division of labor, productivity, free markets, rational self-interest and, most famously, the metaphor of the “invisible hand” regulating the market through interlocking self-interest. Despite being keenly interested in moral philosophy, Smith was a practical man. A clear example of this practicality is his stance towards slavery and the slave trade, which he denounces not on moral grounds, but because he believes paid labor will always be more efficient than slavery. While the world’s understanding of wealth, labor, and equality have changed significantly since its writing, The Wealth of Nations continues to underpi

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.