Adam Smith's America: How a Scottish Philosopher Became an Icon of American Capitalism

Originally published in 1776, Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations was lauded by America's founders as a landmark work of Enlightenment thinking. Glory Liu traces how generations of Americans have read, reinterpreted, and weaponized Smith's ideas, revealing how his popular image as a champion of American-style capitalism and free markets is a historical invention.



Liu tells the story of how an unassuming Scottish philosopher captured the American imagination and played a leading role in shapin...