The Wealth of Nations: Books IV-V: Bks.4-5 (Penguin Classics)

The more I read, the harder it was to digest the thing. A historian whose work I read recently, my colander brain prevents recall of who this was, advocated strongly for reading the literature of a period to fully understand the history. So I met the advice half way in deciding to read this book. Titus Livius wrote books in this monster series of his history of I thought Livy's 'The Rise of Rome' Books to be some of the hardest reading I've done for quite some time.

Titus Livius wrote books in this monster series of his history of Rome, from it's foundation in bc to 9bc. Only 35 books survive. Thank the gods for that! This series from covers the formation of the city of Aeneas, after the fall of Troy, with guest appearances from Hercules and the dynamic duo of Romulus and Remus. Book 5 ends with the sack of the city by the Gauls in bc.

What is incredible about Livius' work is that all of this data was available at all in the first century bc. As well as consulting earlier historical writings from Fabius Pictor, Licinius Macer or Valerius Antias, he was also able to access histories recorded in the Linen Books kept in the Temple of Juno Moneta. This was also home to Rome's mint, hence our money. Occasionally the narrative contains a gem. Information of the first settlements on Rome's hills, or the founding of temples or the mythical creation of the Isola Tiberina.

However the bulk of this work covers the almost continuous attrition between the city and her neighbours, the Sabines, Etruscans, Volsci, Aequi, Fabii, Veii, etc. Or who were consuls for the year. What politics occupied the senate. Who stabbed who in the back, or who was sent into exile.

Who offended the plebs. As Livius states, 'the fates ordained the founding of this great city and the beginning of the world's mightiest empire, second only to the power of the gods. The children were cast adrift in a basket to be reared by a she wolf. It is also interesting to learn that Romulus ascended bodily to heaven and that Rome was bidden to perform rituals by a voice from heaven on Mount Alba. Jul 20, Suzanne rated it it was amazing Shelves: This translation was first published in and it retains a scholarly and serious tone that tends to be abandoned in favor of a more accessible simplicity such as is found in modern translations of ancient texts.

Where "accessible simplicity" means "dumbed down patter". All the same it really is accessible to all but the most simple-minded reader. How do I know? I read it with what I think was great success. I even enjoyed it and looked forward to my hour with this book and a mug of coffee eve This translation was first published in and it retains a scholarly and serious tone that tends to be abandoned in favor of a more accessible simplicity such as is found in modern translations of ancient texts.

The History of Rome, Books The Early History of Rome by Livy

I even enjoyed it and looked forward to my hour with this book and a mug of coffee every morning. Would I have like it as much without the coffee? This isn't a very serious review because, as usual, I feel utterly unqualified to review it. I've written nothing of merit. I have buried in my reading history multiple encounters with V. I'm not climbing into the ring with Livy and Aubrey de Selincourt. View all 14 comments.

Read for university this year. This was an intersection read and helpful if wanting to learn more about Ancient Rome. Even for a huge Latinophile, this history is a bit hard-going. I've probably been spoiled having read Tacitus and Plutarch in the past, with their endlessly entertaining sassy character assassinations. Livy is a lot more I suppose it's mainly because so little is actually known about the history of early Rome. For the first book in this volume, this actually makes for a fascinating weaving of fact and myth: This is all great.

However, the next four books are unbearably dry, consisting mainly of recounts of cyclical campaigns against the various peoples surrounding early Rome - interchangeable nations such as the Aequii, Volscii, Veii, Etruscans, Sabines Livy isn't interested in telling us much about these peoples, or about the Roman people for that matter. I would have liked a more thorough discussion about every day life in early Rome, but this is limited to the odd account of agrarian reform a particular bugbear of Roman Republican patricians , uppity tribunes and rowdy plebs.

This is interesting enough the first few times around, but I get the impression that early Roman history was of a cut-and-paste kind: But one can't be too harsh on Livy. He was writing history for a very different audience and for different reasons than modern historians, so we must be lenient if the style is not to our tastes. The great historian E. Carr wrote that works of history tell you more about the writer's contemporary time than they do about their subject matter, and I'm a great believer in this.

It is a privilege to be able to read the words of a man who is separated from us by two millennia. Plus, look no further than the Romans for comical names. Spurius Furius and Mettius Fufettius, I'm looking at you. Jun 17, Bruce rated it liked it. I found reading this book to be a mixed experience. It clearly gives a sense of Roman history up to BC, much of course being based on myth and legend, and as such it is an invaluable introduction to the history of Rome. The writing itself seems uneven. There are seemingly interminable chronological lists of consuls and tribunes, squabbles between patricians and plebians, repetitive conflicts with neighboring tribes and cities that become mind-numbing.

Interspersed with these are fascinating " I found reading this book to be a mixed experience. Interspersed with these are fascinating "highlight" stories and long speeches illuminating and summarizing particular issues. Most of these speeches are constructed monologues created by Livy - much as Thucydides did in his Greek history - rather than historically accurate renditions, but they certainly help provide a sense of what was occurring at the time.

Livy is essentially conservative, repetitively bemoaning the encroachment of the people on the prerogatives of the patricians and formulating speeches extolling the need to return to traditional religious and political structures and practices. I found myself alternately fascinated and bored.

I'm glad I read it. I'll not read it again. Nowhere is the class struggle so vividly laid out as in Livy. Plebeians want more land and equality, so the patricians distract them by going to war; plebeians want equal political representation, so the patricians distract them by invoking the gods "What would the Gods think?

My dog, is Appius Claudius not ready for Fox News? This is an excellent translation, superior to the Penguin edition, too, in my regard, for politely breaking up the consulships. By the time the kings Nowhere is the class struggle so vividly laid out as in Livy. By the time the kings are ousted, you will be agape in awe of Livy, and if not by then, then by the sack of Rome by the Gauls; not to mention the fascinating descriptions of cultural practices, i. It's also interesting to watch the kings dialectically play off one another - Romulus war , Numa religion , Hostilius circus maximus ; now that's what I call a synthesis!

Jun 11, sologdin rated it liked it Shelves: Sep 24, Robert Sheppard rated it it was amazing Shelves: But the great histories and historians of World History bring us far more than events of nations, chronicles of the Rise and Fall of Civilizations, or lessons and precedents from the past; they also constitute a fundamental part of World Literature, bringing us great reading experiences and exciting sagas as in Thucydides' "History of the Peloponesian War," in-depth portraits and readings of the character of great men and shapers of the world as in Plutarch's "Parallel Lives" and China's "Records of the Grand Historian" by Si Ma Chen, and deep philosophical and scientific insights into the workings of human society its environment as revealed in the panoramic visions of great Islamic historian Ibn Khaldun, Karl Marx, Oswald Spengler and Sir Arnold Toynbee.

As such, in our modern globalized world of the 21st century, where not only our own history, but also the interrelated histories of all of nations show so clearly that "the past is always present," and therefore every educated citizen of the modern world has an obligation to read the great works of history from all major civilizations to even begin comprehending the living world about us and the ultimate meaning of our own lives. If to begin our survey we put the daunting threshold question of what was the firs work of "history" in human experience, like most radical questions we will find that the answer all depends on how we put the question and define its terms.

Histories were passed down in oral sagas memorized by poets such as Homer's "Iliad and Odyssey," and only centuries later recorded in script. But true history begins with works of systematic analysis and interpretation of human events, and in that light the general consensus is that the first great work of World History was that of the Greek historian Herodotus in the 5th Century BC, "The Histories.

He was born in Halicarnassus, a Greek city which had become part of the Persian Empire that enjoyed strong trade relations with Egypt. He travelled widely, spending time in Periclian Athens, Egypt, Persia and Italy and collected histories, tales and historical lore wherever he traveled, noting the customs of the people, the major wars and state events and the religions and lore of the people.

The History of Rome, Books 1-5: The Early History of Rome

He wrote in a "folksy" style and purported to record whatever was told to him, which led to critics deploring some of the "tall tales" or mythical accounts in his work, but which Herodtodus himself said he included without judgment to their ultimate truth to illustrate the historical beliefs of the peoples he encountered. His primary focus was to explain the history and background of the Persian War between the Greeks and the Persian Empire, though he also included cultural observations of other peoples such as the Egyptians. His "Histories" is entertaining and interesting, though somewhat voluminous and scattered for the modern reader unfamiliar with the context.

His approach and goal in writing was completely different from Herodotus, as he was himself a General in the wars he wrote about and set out to provide "the inside story" of eyewitnesses and personal accounts of the major participants in the great events of their history so that their characters, understanding, strategies and actions could be closely judged, especially for the purpose of educating future statesmen and leaders.

It contains such classics such as Pericles "Funeral Speech" for the ballen war heroes reminiscent of Lincoln's Gettysburg address. It is a must for those seeking to understand Classical Greece and a rich and exciting read. His epic history "Records of the Grand Historian" sought to summarize all of Chinese history up to his time when the Han Dynasty Empire was a rival in size and power to that of Imperial Rome.

He lived and wrote about the same time as Polybius, author of "The Rise of the Roman Empire," and like him he wrote from the vantage point of a newly united empire having overcome centuries of waring strife to establish a unified and powerful domain. In style, his history has some of the character of Plutarch in his "Lives" in that it often focuses on intimate character portraits of such great men as Qin Shi Huang Di, the unifier and First Emperor of China, and many others.

It also contains rich and varied accounts of topic areas such as music, folk arts, literature, economics, calendars, science and others. He was the chief formulator of the primary Chinese theory of the rise and fall of imperial dynasties known as the "Mandate of Heaven. However, over centuries most dynasties would suffer corruption and decline, finally resulting in Heaven choosing another more virtuous dynasty to displace them when they had forfeited the "Mandate of Heaven," a kind of "Social Contract" with the divine rather than with mankind.

Then, this cycle would repeat itself over the millennia. His personal life was occasioned by tragedy due to his intellectual honesty in the "Li Ling Affair. They met disaster and their armies were annihilated, ending in the capture of both. Everyone at Court blamed the disaster on Li Ling in order to exonerate the Emperor's relative, but Sima Qian, out of respect for Li Ling's honor disagreed publicly and was predictably sentenced to death by Emperor Wu. A noble like Sima Qian could have his death sentence commuted by payment of a large fine or castration but since he was a poor scholar he could not afford the fine.

Thus, in 96 BC, on his release from prison, Sima chose to endure castration and live on as a palace eunuch to fulfill his promise to his father to complete his histories, rather than commit suicide as was expected of a gentleman-scholar. But the reason I have not refused to bear these ills and have continued to live, dwelling in vileness and disgrace without taking my leave, is that I grieve that I have things in my heart which I have not been able to express fully, and I am shamed to think that after I am gone my writings will not be known to posterity.

Too numerous to record are the men of ancient times who were rich and noble and whose names have yet vanished away. It is only those who were masterful and sure, the truly extraordinary men, who are still remembered. I too have ventured not to be modest but have entrusted myself to my useless writings.

I have gathered up and brought together the old traditions of the world which were scattered and lost. I have examined the deeds and events of the past and investigated the principles behind their success and failure, their rise and decay, in one hundred and thirty chapters. I wished to examine into all that concerns heaven and man, to penetrate the changes of the past and present, completing all as the work of one family. But before I had finished my rough manuscript, I met with this calamity. It is because I regretted that it had not been completed that I submitted to the extreme penalty without rancor.

When I have truly completed this work, I shall deposit it in the Famous Mountain. If it may be handed down to men who will appreciate it, and penetrate to the villages and great cities, then though I should suffer a thousand mutilations, what regret should I have? Though a personal history, his writing contains little introspection or deep analytical thought and is rather the action-drama of the campaign, with special care to show his own personal courage and leadership.

Before the 20th century most European schoolboys would read the work as part of their efforts to learn Latin in Grammar School. Later famous leaders such as Winston Churchill also followed in Caesar's tradition in writing history alonside making it, for which he received the Nobel Prize. Caesar's work is worth reading and exciting in parts, though sometimes becoming repetitive in the minutiae of the endless conflicts.

Though ancient history is presumed to be boring, I surprisingly found Livy's account surprisingly lively, almost a "can't put down read. Polybius is a surprisingly modern historian who saw as his challenge to write a "universal history" similar to that of our age of Globalization in which previously separate national histories became united in a universal field of action with integrated causes and effects. He was a Greek who was arrested and taken to Rome and then became intimate with the highest circles of the Roman Senate and a mentor to the Scipio family of generals.

He like Thucydides then attempts to tell the "inside story" of how Rome rose to universal dominance in its region, and how all the parts of his world became interconnected in their power relations. Tacitus AD continues the story after the fall of the Republic and rise of the Roman Empire under the emperors. The endstory of the Roman Empire is reflected in Ammianus Marcellinus AD who wrote in the time of Julian the Apostate who unsuccessfully tried to shake off Christianity and restore the old pagan and rationalist traditions of Classical Greece and Rome.

His "Parallel Lives" consists of character portraits and life histories of matching pairs of great Greeks and great Romans such as Alexander and Caesar, hoping to enhance appreciation of the greatness of each. Much of Shakespeare's knowledge of the classical world reflected in his plays such as "Julius Caesar," "Anthony and Cleopatra" and "Coriolanus" came from reading Plutarch in translation.

His character analyses are always insightful and engaging to read. Of these Ibn Khaldun was the greatest and a theoretical forerunner of our modern approaches to history, far ahead of his time and little appreciated in either the Western or the Islamic world until recently. His greatest work is the The "Muqaddimah" known as the Prolegomena in which he anticipated some of the themes of Marx in tracing the importance of the influence of economics on history, including the conflict between the economic classes of the nomadic pastoral and herding peoples, the settled agriculturalists and the rising urban commercial class.

Like Marx he stressed the importance of the "economic surplus" of the agricultural revolution and the "value-added" of manufacture, which allowed the rise of the urban, military and administrative classes and division of labor. He stressed the unity of the social system across culture, religion, economics and tradition.

He even anticipated some of the themes of Darwin and evolution, tracing human progress in its First Stage of Man "from the world of the monkeys" towards civilization. Toynbee called the Muqaddimah the greatest work of genius of a single mind relative to its time and place ever produced in world history.

Its author is unknown but it contains an engaging account of the Khanate, the royal family and its traditions and the incredible expansion of its domain. While not a theoretical work it provides a useful missing link in our understanding of the Mongol Empire as a beginning stage of modern Globalization and a conduit for sharing between civilizations, East and West, and, unfortunatelyh for the transmission of the Black Plague across the world. Marx, of course is central to modern history, not only formulating the laws of social development based on economics, class conflict and the transition from agricultural to capitalist economies, but also formulating the revolutionary program of Communism.

Oswald Spengler was a remarkable German amateur historian whose "Decline of the West" traced a theory of "organic civilizations" that have a birth, blossoming, limited lifespan and death like all living creatures. He held this to be a cyclical universal historical process of civilizations now exemplified by the West entering the stage of spiritual exhaustion and collaps in warfare. Arnold Toynbee charted a similar process analyzing 26 civilizaitons across all human history, but differed with Spengler in that he believed moral reform and a return to Christian ethics could revive the West and forestall its decline.

Verhoven of the Africa chapters discourse on human history, evolution, evolutionary biology and the rise of civilization, culminating with the quest of the protagonists led by Sartorius to establish a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly for global democracy, a globalized version of the EU Parliament as a new organ of the United Nations.

For a fuller discussion of the concept of World Literature you are invited to look into the extended discussion in the new book Spiritus Mundi, by Robert Sheppard, one of the principal themes of which is the emergence and evolution of World Literature: Spiritus Mundi on Goodreads: Spiritus Mundi on Amazon, Book I: Apr 29, Eadweard rated it really liked it Shelves: As " The study of history is the best medicine for a sick mind; for in history you have a record of the infinite variety of human experience plainly set out for all to see: As a literary work that mixes mythology, history and is obviously biased, four out of five stars.

As a historically accurate work, not even worth rating. This shouldn't be read as history, always keep in mind that Livy has an agenda, he also embellishes events, has people saying things that they probably never said and is writing many centuries later. Aside from all that, it's a riveting read. To read about what the romans thought were their origins, what they probably considered truths, all those mythological, semi-historical and historical figures, all those important events in the distant past that shaped them into what they became.

To see Rome go from a small city-state to a regional power and eventually many centuries later a world power. Feb 07, Philip rated it really liked it Shelves: At one point, while we were walking to the Cathedral, I asked my host brother, "What's up with all those statues and pictures everywhere? The look of, "Are you kidding me?

The founder of Rome? Somehow, I had missed or completely blocked out that section of history. I snapped a picture, and followed him to the cathedral as we both cursed my stupidity. I've looked into the founding of Rome since then - going to college to learn history definitely helped Yes, I had to read it in college as well, but we only had to read the first 3 books I thought Livy's writing style was quite good - especially given the fact it's what? Livy is funny, witty, and writing with a purpose. He writes, for instance, about Romulus and Remus being raised by the wolf I had forgotten how brief this actually was Anyway, here's a quote: And besides, whatever information might have been contained in the commentaries of the pontiffs, and other public or private records, it was almost entirely lost in the burning of the city.

Henceforward, from the second origin of Rome, from whence, as from its root, receiving new life, it sprung up with redoubled health and vigour, I shall be able to give the relation of its affairs, both civil and military, with more clearness and certainty. By the end of the tenth book, Rome arises as the supreme power on the Italian peninsula. We get more great stories of battle and deeds of heroism, some of which are probably more legendary than historical, propagated by descendants of the men in question. We hear more of Camillus, and see the deeds of Torquatus, Corvinus, Manlius and others.

We also continue to follow the squabbling politics of the Roman people to some important end. The plebeians continue to gain political power, and, in a political act that resonates even to our day, Rome passed a law ending the practice of throwing debtors into prison. If you are an ancient history buff, Livy is required reading. However, there are lessons to be learned here far beyond the realm of the historian. In examining the characters and motivations of these men, Livy wants the reader to take note of those characteristics which stand out as noble, good and honorable as well as those which are base, vile, and corrupt.

The greatest benefit a reader will get from Livy is not a detailed knowledge of Roman history, but a sense of the variety of humanity and a series of moral examples which are often to be found in the best of literature. Look, I know I have no right to sit in judgment on Livy. But my plan to read his surviving works over this summer has hit a real road-block: The first five books were great fun. These five books, as the title would have suggested to a more attentive reader than I, are about war.

I recognize that other people are more interested in these wars, and they'll no doubt really enjoy Livy's discussion of the endless Samnite wars and wars against Etruria and the Gauls. What I want, however, is the internal politics, the plebeians vs the patricians, the reflections on morality and immorality.

There's just a lot less of that here, and, presumably, a lot less of that in the rest of Livy that we have. Great for people who want to know about war.

Feb 28, Jesper rated it it was amazing Shelves: Same story as before. Romans bluffing together an empire. Aug 01, Marc added it Shelves: View all 3 comments. May 30, Peter Aronson rated it really liked it. Livy lets himself a bit loose here, speculating what would have happened if Alexander the Great had attacked Rome surprise: May 30, Hal Johnson rated it really liked it Shelves: But what Livy has, mixed in with the tedium, are most wonderful stories.

I of the Penguins , but it has such great bits as Valerius winning a duel with the help of a raven VII. The Samnites send a messenger back to to Samnium, to the sage and aged Herennius Pontius, asking him what they should do with the captive army. His first advice is to let the Romans go, free and clear and with honor. When the Samnites say that sounds a little too generous for their tastes, H. The Samnites decide instead to let the army go free, but humiliated and yoked, and with harsh peace terms.

Feb 21, Roger Burk rated it really liked it. Livy carries the story of Rome through the fourth century BC, starting with the recovery after the Gaulish sack in BC. At first, the wars seem to be mostly about restoring power over fractious allies and less about predatory wars on enemy cities. Even the Latins must sometimes be forced back into the fold, with some reluctance since they are identical to the Romans in language, laws, and customs. Later, there are nearly yearly campaigns against various other states, but above all against Sam Livy carries the story of Rome through the fourth century BC, starting with the recovery after the Gaulish sack in BC.

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Later, there are nearly yearly campaigns against various other states, but above all against Samnites, trying to turn back encroachments on Rome's sphere of influence, or to extend that sphere. The strategy of war seems to be much like that of the previous century--encamp in enemy territory and plunder the countryside until the enemy army comes out and offers battle. All this is taking place while the Greeks cities vie to see who will lead them after the Peloponnesian War, while Macedon intervenes to settle the matter, while Alexander conquers Asia, and while his successors fight over his empire.

There are only a few initial brushes with Greek colonies. Pyrrhus has not yet arrived to save the Greeks in Italy from the Romans, and Carthage is still a remote power. The most striking event is a Samnite victory in BC, when they manage to trap the entire Roman army, including both consuls. The Romans are allowed to leave with their lives in exchange for a promise of peace, but they are stripped of everything except a single garment apiece, and made to pass one by one under a yoke of submission in front of the jeering Samnite army. Then the disgraced and mournful mob is allowed to trudge back home.

However, the Senate denounces the agreement, sends those who made it bound back to the Samnites, and carries on the war. Wanting to ensure victory, a consul asks the army's attending priest the right formula for sacrificing himself. He makes the prescribed prayer of self-dedication and offering, then charges in to find death among the enemy. That's how Livy tells it, and if it didn't happen that way, it should have.

During the height of the Samnite wars, the Romans seem to have great victories every year killing thousands or tens of thousands of Samnites, but the following year the Samnites seems to be just as ready for battle. Perhaps there is a math error in Livy's sources.

Livy is sometimes critical of his sources, but he is limited to what he finds in them, which he can only repeat, with or without voicing reservations or giving both conflicting stories. He seems to think that the Romans succeed partly because their soldiers are better trained and organized, and partly because of prudent and restrained policy maintained by the Senate.

Restive subjects are sometimes given a fine, sometimes an offer of citizenship, sometimes imposition of a Roman garrison, sometimes annihilation and replacement with Roman colonists, according to the circumstances and to the mood of the Senate. Towards the end of the period, deputations frequently arrive in Rome from other cities to ask for treaties of friendship.

In political developments, there are two consuls every year--no more "military tribunes with consular powers," as was an option before the Gauls. When the military situation becomes alarming, or there is a particular religious need for one, a dictator is appointed for a period of months, or days. Despite their powers, both dictators and tribunes often defer to the judgment of the Senate. However, the plebeians are able to force some changes in the Roman constitution during this period. From BC one consul may be a pleb. In BC the plebs mutiny as an army, and the patricians buy peace and national unity by outlawing interest on loans, imposing term limits, and making plebeians eligible for both consulships though those elected continue to be almost always patricians.

In BC, the last exclusive privilege of the patricians is removed when plebs take on the religious functions of augurs and pontiffs. In BC, there is a limit enacted on the amount of land one could own. Also, the plebs are co-opted with the plunder and land of conquered peoples, and are sometimes sent out to found colonies among allies, though there is continuing dissatisfaction with the merciless laws on debt.

The Romans hold the superstitious and bloody religious rites of the Samnians in contempt. They are nothing like the Romans, whose major decisions are referred to the Keeper of the Sacred Chickens. This remarkable figure is able to translate the feeding behavior of his birds into advice on whether it is a propitious day for battle.

This probably isn't the best place to start with Livy or the history of Rome, since it isn't from the beginning and therefore doesn't have some of the best, mythical stuff: But it's still pretty early, B. And most of it is fighting. Romans really believed in honor and glory, two things you can only get by being a successful warrior. There's hardly any poetry, drama, art, sculpture, or This probably isn't the best place to start with Livy or the history of Rome, since it isn't from the beginning and therefore doesn't have some of the best, mythical stuff: There's hardly any poetry, drama, art, sculpture, or anything else but fighting.

The Wealth of Nations Bks.4 & 5

The Romans fight their neighbors, people we don't talk much about anymore: Latins weird, I know , Etruscans, Volcisini, Sammites they fight these guys a lot , and heaps of others I can't remember. The Romans always win. They kill people, take them as slaves, ransom them, demand payment for their troops and city, and build temples to gods from the profits. The neighbors and rivals always end up rebelling, kill all the Romans in the colonies, and then the Roman put up an army again and go back to war.

There is interesting political stuff here. The Plebians want access to higher office, mainly as Consuls but also as religious leaders, the Patricians don't want to give it to them.

The History of Rome, Books 6-10: Rome and Italy

The Plebians, over the the or so years of this volume, end up getting their way. Consuls are voted for, have 1 year in office, and then need to resign. Particularly interesting were his thesis on "Division of Labor" page 15 , rules of market place based on self interest page , description of banking crisis page , free trade page , with the famous "invisible hand" , property rights page , description of Founding Fathers in US page , free market principle page , rule of law page , , role of government page , human nature and incentives page , freedom of religion page , progressive tax system page , government debt page , currency devaluation page Rules of the market place, rule of law, property rights, freedom of religion comes to mind.

I would recommend it to anyone who has the will and time to peruse this superb volume. Very disappointed with this format. It is obvious that it is printed on demand in the cheapest way possible. The print is small, the pages are filled top to bottom and edge to edge with print. Do yourself a favor and buy a used copy hardbound and you will be very happy. It's Wealth of Nations. There's nothing to critique about the book in this paltry review that all shed worthwhile light on the text itself that hasn't been more intelligently and fully examined over the last few hundred years by thousands of economists and thinkers around the world.

Most of these free Kindle books leave a lot to be desired and this is no different. Since it wasn't translated we don't have to argue over the quality of the interpretation, however it is a dense tome and I find these require a little more navigation for full digestion. A lot of flipping back and forth, checking out the index, notes, table of contents, previous chapters, etc.

And all of this is a bit challenging to do on the Kindle. Nevertheless, the text seems to fine. So if you want to casually explore the thoughts of Smith on a less than ideal platform, here you go.