Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • Adam Smith

  • What He Thought, and Why It Matters
  • By: Jesse Norman
  • Narrated by: Jesse Norman
  • Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (32 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Adam Smith cover art

Adam Smith

By: Jesse Norman
Narrated by: Jesse Norman
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Mises cover art
Adam Smith cover art
A Macat Analysis of Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations cover art
Follow the Money cover art
The Theory of Moral Sentiments cover art
The Locust and the Bee cover art
In Search of the Dark Ages cover art
Under Western Eyes cover art
A Macat Analysis of J. A. Hobson's Imperialism: A Study cover art
The Rothbard Reader cover art
Fascism Versus Capitalism cover art
Capitalism cover art
The Theory of the Leisure Class cover art
An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought cover art
Austrian Economics and Public Policy cover art
Capitalism and the Jews cover art

Summary

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Adam Smith, written and read by Jesse Norman. 

Adam Smith is now widely regarded as 'the father of modern economics' and the most influential economist who ever lived. But what he really thought, and what the implications of his ideas are, remain fiercely contested. Was he an eloquent advocate of capitalism and the freedom of the individual? Or a prime mover of 'market fundamentalism' and an apologist for inequality and human selfishness?

This exceptional book, by a writer who combines to an unusual degree intellectual training and practical political experience, dispels the myths and caricatures and gives us Smith in the round. It lays out a succinct and highly engaging account of Smith's life and times, explores his work as a whole and traces his influence over the past two centuries. Finally, it shows how a proper understanding of Smith can help us grasp - and address - the problems of modern capitalism. The Smith who emerges from this book is not only the first thinker to place markets at the heart of economics but also a pioneering theorist of moral philosophy, culture and society.

©2018 Jesse Norman (P)2018 Penguin Audio

More from the same

What listeners say about Adam Smith

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    22
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    14
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Future Well Told

This is a work of first class scholarship. It presents a political and economic manifesto essential for a prosperous future for us all based upon the learnings and lessons drawn critically from the complete writings of Adam Smith. It is a great pity that the current leadership of Mr Norman’s Tory Party will see this work, if they see it at all, as a threat rather than a promise!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Detail overview thought provoking

Sometimes heavy going and it did seem to drift but overall worth persevering as part are excellent and what seemed to be divergence merely fill in some foundation on Adam Smiths life and contribution.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Worth buying

Excellent summary of Adam Smith and overview political economy. Much better than expected. Good audio performance by author

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Engaging and Educational

Having struggled badly reading The Wealth Of Nations. I approached this book with caution. I was very wrong to do so. This is an excellent book which breaks down Smiths views and compares them to modern examples. More importantly, the reader is reminded that Smiths influence and ideas are still very relevant. The book also changes my overall view of Smith. As once thought of as an economist, but in reality he was a philosopher. The performance was very engaging which kept me interested in a subject which can be at times, very dull. I highly recommend this book as it provides and insight into the economies and markets of nations past and present, but also of a very fascinating and strong willed individual whom was never afraid of stating his strong opposition to barbaric practices of his time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful