Adam Smith, his life and his masterpiece

Essay by lefmarUniversity, Master'sA+, May 2005

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This essay is going to be about the most famous of all economists, Adam Smith, and his work, "the wealth of nations". "The wealth of nations" of Adam Smith is one of the greatest books that changed the common way of thinking concerning economics. Published in 1776, its impact started two centuries ago and continues to do so. If someone is interested in the study of economics then he should begin with a copy of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations.

Adam Smith is considered to be the father of capitalism. Even though he was not the first that got involved with the particular subject, his book was the first one that really "exhausted" and covered in total the field of capitalism. The above mentioned is the main reason of the specific book remaining classic during centuries.

Adam Smith was Scottish. He was born in 1723 in Kirkcaldy, a small town in County Fife at the east coasts of Scotland.

Adam's father was a lawyer and also had a small government position. His father though died before Adam's birth and therefore Adam was raised by his mother, the only woman he ever loved. Adam Smith was a simple man that, remaining bachelor, lived his life in a very sheltered and quiet way. He was a very perceptive, clever and curious nature, trying always to find the answers he did not have. He was all the time captivated in his thoughts and abstracted. Once he even had an accident while having a conversation with a friend. He had great memory and the ability of expressing his ideas very well. He also had great oratory powers and as a result of this ability he had, he became later on very famous as a lecturer.

Concerning the education he received, Adam was first sent...