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57th out of 81 books
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10 voters
On The Wealth of Nations
As one of the first titles in Atlantic Monthly Press’ “Books That Changed the World” series, America’s most provocative satirist, P. J. O’Rourke, reads Adam Smith’s revolutionary The Wealth of Nations so you don’t have to. Recognized almost instantly on its publication in 1776 as the fundamental work of economics, The Wealth of Nations was also recognized as really long: t...more
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
December 4th 2006
by Atlantic Monthly Press
(first published 2006)
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I really enjoyed the book, even though I expected it to be funnier. PJ O'Rourke interpreted and discussed Adam Smith's the Wealth of the Nation in his own words. I had never read Wealth, though I would like to attempt it once I find a bit more time to devote to it (not that it would be the longest book I've ever read, but I think the older English language might take me a while.) So, I took O'Rourke's interpretations as they were.
It amazed me how much of what Smith saw wrong about the English so...more
It amazed me how much of what Smith saw wrong about the English so...more
This book was like a tribute album. Let me explain. You buy a tribute album and are excited because you like the band being tributed and/or you like the band doing the tribute. Either way it is somewhat of a disappointment because the songs aren't like the originals that you liked or the band playing it does not sound like the style you liked.
That is how this book is. I like PJ O'Rourke but I felt he was held back by having to talk about Adam Smith's book. The most enjoyable part was when he was...more
That is how this book is. I like PJ O'Rourke but I felt he was held back by having to talk about Adam Smith's book. The most enjoyable part was when he was...more
In these "interesting" economic times, everyone would benefit from the one-two punch of P.J. O'Rourke's "On The Wealth of Nations" for a historic basis of modern economics and "Eat The Rich" as the pragmatic practice of economics in today's world (okay, the world of 1999, when the book was written). Incredibly informative and funny as hell, you won't realize how much you learned until you're done laughing. This former Rolling Stone counterculture author is less Karl and more Groucho, but his res...more
Cutting criticism and praise of The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith with it's application to modern day as well as a thorough background in understanding what the economic system was before and during Smith's time in order to understand what kinds of points Smith entailed to write. It not only covered all of the books of Wealth, but discussed the Moral Sentiments and at the end, gave a sweet overview of Smith's life, his work and eventually, his death.
Although O'Rourke is cutting in his criticis...more
Although O'Rourke is cutting in his criticis...more
I'm not quite sure how to reate this. I found the first two or thee and last couple chapters more annoying than intersting, it seemed that the author was trying too hard to inject humor that it was very distracting from the topic. Once he delved into The Wealth of Nations, it picked up quite a bit and it was inciteful commentary for the most part.
One of the big things that I learned though is that perhaps Smith didn't have it ALL together in every way. We frequently give Smith kudos for putting...more
One of the big things that I learned though is that perhaps Smith didn't have it ALL together in every way. We frequently give Smith kudos for putting...more
A layman's interpretation of the famous book "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith. O'Rourke explains how Smith's book is obviously about Capital, however the overarching goal for Smith was the betterment of life. The roots of this subject stem from his book "Theory of Moral Sentiment".
O'Rourke sets the stage with a history of economics and its beginnings with The Physiocrats, namely Francois Quesnay. Then goes on to explain how capital is made and distributed.
O'Rourke covers each of the 5 sect...more
Having never sought out any of P.J. O'Rourke's articles, or earlier writings; I can say that I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I have previously read one other book in this "Books that Changed the World" series, Karen Armstrong's "The Bible," which I enjoyed quite a lot. Happily, I can say that this book was an even stronger follow-up in the series.
O'Rourke is one of the wittiest satirists that I have the pleasure of reading. We share very similar political beliefs, and a dry sense of hu...more
O'Rourke is one of the wittiest satirists that I have the pleasure of reading. We share very similar political beliefs, and a dry sense of hu...more
P. J. O’Rourke, author of Eat the Rich, Parliament of Whores and Give Peace a Chance, has written a satirical take on Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations. And if anything calls for humor it is economics. O’Rourke’s book is part of the Grove Press series Books That Changed the World.
Smith’s, The Wealth of Nations, a seminal work of economic writing by the 18th century moral philosopher, weighs in at 1211 pages, more than most of us want or care to read. On the Wealth of Nations at a comparative sl...more
Smith’s, The Wealth of Nations, a seminal work of economic writing by the 18th century moral philosopher, weighs in at 1211 pages, more than most of us want or care to read. On the Wealth of Nations at a comparative sl...more
I picked this book up as a white flag of surrender. If I ever read Adam Smith's original work, it won't be any time soon. Still, it seems like a good time to have at least a reasonable knowledge of economics and market theory, and this is a breezy, short read that claims to cover the gist of what Smith was really getting at.
Of course, because it's PJ O'Rourke, it's as much about O'Rourke himself and his personal prejudices as it is about showing how modern conventional wisdom has distorted Smith...more
Of course, because it's PJ O'Rourke, it's as much about O'Rourke himself and his personal prejudices as it is about showing how modern conventional wisdom has distorted Smith...more
A few months back author and blogger Russell Roberts asked his readers a thought provoking question concerning the wealth of a talented, resourceful Nepalese man vs. that of a lazy, unskilled American. He later answered himself beautifully and gave me one of the best economic lessons I have ever received. If I had already read O'Rourke's splendid summation of The Wealth of Nations I could have scored well on the question in one simple sentence, "wealth depends on division of labor; division of l...more
Reading the 900 pages of Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations" just seemed daunting. So I did the next best thing: I had someone else summarize it for me. O' Rourke's book actually not only summarized all 5 books of "The Wealth of Nations," but provided a complete guide to understanding both Adam Smith's "Wealth of Nations," as well as his "Theory of Moral Sentiments." Smith actually wrote works for the betterment of society, and Smith's 2 works were actually part of an unfinished trilogy on the topi...more
If you have read Wealth of Nations, and forgot about it, this is the book for you.
O'Rourke has read the book and tell you the bullet points of the essential on the main ideas of the book, plus his modern opinions on how wrong the premise is, given it is written so long ago.
You will like it if you disagreed when you read Wealth of Nations, as it turned out, O'Rourke disagreed with some of the points too.
But that is not why you will like this book.
You like it, because O'Rourke review the book like...more
O'Rourke has read the book and tell you the bullet points of the essential on the main ideas of the book, plus his modern opinions on how wrong the premise is, given it is written so long ago.
You will like it if you disagreed when you read Wealth of Nations, as it turned out, O'Rourke disagreed with some of the points too.
But that is not why you will like this book.
You like it, because O'Rourke review the book like...more
Many parts of O'Rourke's summary of 'The Wealth of Nations' was interesting, but maybe because I had to take Economics, I felt that the information presented from the actual 'Wealth of Nations' was simple common sense (in a capitalistic society, at least), which is what Adam Smith meant it to be, really. Because modern economics is basically based off of what Smith had said, there weren't very many "Aha!" moments, which I was sort of hoping for.
The significance of 'Wealth' is astounding, though...more
The significance of 'Wealth' is astounding, though...more
Mar 05, 2008
Frederick
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Students of humor and students of the economy
I saw P.J. O'Rourke promoting this book on THE DAILY SHOW. I realized it might be the one book in existence which might give me a sense of economics, so I made the economy of buying it.
This book is about a book, that being Adam Smith's THE WEALTH OF NATIONS. O'Rourke has a very clear mind. He gets and gives the gist of Adam Smith. I felt my intelligence increase as I read his recontextualization of Smith's great work. I was imagining things, I'm sure. What I was NOT imagining was the elation I f...more
This book is about a book, that being Adam Smith's THE WEALTH OF NATIONS. O'Rourke has a very clear mind. He gets and gives the gist of Adam Smith. I felt my intelligence increase as I read his recontextualization of Smith's great work. I was imagining things, I'm sure. What I was NOT imagining was the elation I f...more
Adam Smith's A Wealth Of Nations is something I've always wanted to read but known I wouldn't make it through it. Even reading a sentence of Smith is grueling. So when I heard one of my favorite authors was doing a cliffs notes version, I was so excited to get my hands on it.
The main deficiency in the work is O'Rourke's constant references to current events and scandals. They make sense now, but what about when my kids read this in 10 years? A lot will go over their heads.
I was also disappoint...more
The main deficiency in the work is O'Rourke's constant references to current events and scandals. They make sense now, but what about when my kids read this in 10 years? A lot will go over their heads.
I was also disappoint...more
After moving from Houston to Tyler, I finally got a new public library card. While I was browsing around, I came across this book in a small display the library had on books about current affairs. I have read O'Rourke's books in the past; I enjoyed his Parliament of Whores very much, so I figured this might be a good bet. If nothing else, it would be a nice way to get exposure to Adam Smith's big book with some sense of humor thrown in. We'll see how it goes.
* * * *
Well, now that I finished r...more
* * * *
Well, now that I finished r...more
This was truly an entertaining read, despite my earlier comments; you just have to get used to the author's style. He interjects passages with his own quips, and the resulting back-and-forth settles into a good rhythm.
Adam Smith wrote two books, The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations. They are incredibly large, and tedious to read. But if CliffsNotes are responsible for sucking the life out of vibrant works of art, then this book is the polar opposite. It makes economic theo...more
Adam Smith wrote two books, The Theory of Moral Sentiments and The Wealth of Nations. They are incredibly large, and tedious to read. But if CliffsNotes are responsible for sucking the life out of vibrant works of art, then this book is the polar opposite. It makes economic theo...more
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Since Wealth on Nations of Adam Smith would take me a long time to read and well, understand, I'm sure, I have to pick up this book which they claim is written by a funny author, yeah, maybe he is *cultural differences*, so in a way I would understand Wealth without reading the thick original book. Though now it got me confused on how I would know if he did a good job of summarizing Smith's ideas in just few clever punchline. Does that mean that I still have to go back of reading Wealth of Natio...more
I generally liked this book, but unlike O'Rourke's other works (I'm thinking specifically of "Peace Kills", and his appearances on television programs), some of O'Rourke's attempts at his trademark humor fall a little flat. Overall, it's an interesting and informative read of not only Smith's "Wealth of Nations", but also his lesser-known work "Theory of Moral Sentiments." There's also enough Adam Smith biography in the book to provide some insight in to the man himself. I'd particularly recomme...more
After enjoying quote after quote from O'Rourke in other people's essays, I finally decided to read one of his books. I settled on the wealth of nations because I enjoy reading and discussing economics, haven't read every word of Wealth of Nations (I never intend to), and my wife objected to adding a book with the word Whores in the title to her cart on Amazon (Parliament of Whores was in my wish list).
The book was what I expected - a quick and enjoyable read with thoughtful chapters, all peppere...more
The book was what I expected - a quick and enjoyable read with thoughtful chapters, all peppere...more
I read the first two and a half chapters, and just couldn't get into it. In this book P.J. O'Rourke is attempting to discuss/summarize the Wealth of Nations, and somehow it just didn't live up to his other books. There were a few quick quips, but on the whole it lacked the humorous quality of his other books, and didn't feel organized. I didn't know where he was going, and didn't feel like he was making any real point.
I found this book REALLY irritating. O'Rourke can't decide if he is being snarky or sincere, and he can't even seem to decide when or whether he agrees with Adam Smith's philosophy. I wanted to learn more about Smith's original book, but instead I got a filtered and confusing view through O'Rourke's libertarian and reality-denying lens. (The man believes in trickle-down economics. I mean, come on.)
Thanks to P.J. O'Rourke, I never have to read the 900-plus page Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith! He has distilled this pivotal book on economics down to it's essential foundations, and done so in a way that is not only easily understandable, but also very entertaining (as well as being educational). All of that having been said, a better primer on basic economics is Thomas Sowell's "Basic Economics," but Sowell's certainly won't make you laugh as often!
Brief walk through Adam Smith's
The Wealth of Nations
. I felt that the author did a good job of combining the themes of Smith's earlier work
The Theory of Moral Sentiments
and The Wealth of Nations into a larger narrative and how they both reflected Smith's worldview about how humanity can better itself.
A synopsis like this also underscores the importance of reading the source text (I'll get there someday), because with a book as notable as this one, the meaning tends to be twisted and the...more
A synopsis like this also underscores the importance of reading the source text (I'll get there someday), because with a book as notable as this one, the meaning tends to be twisted and the...more
I've thoroughly enjoyed P.J. O'Rourke's sarcastic and snarky style in books about politics and current events. But, when applied to economics, his comments muddled and distracted from the underlying points in Wealth of Nations. It was enjoyable enough to listen to but wasn't the best O'Rourke or economics.
Part of a forthcoming series "on" books so you don't have to read them, it's good in that I probably (let's be honest) will never manage to read The Wealth of Nations, and O'Rourke does a pretty good job with it. He doesn't rely only on himself to explain Adam Smith to you; he brings in scholarly work on Hume and economics and includes an extensive bibliography. All the same, at times I felt this book was a bit all over the place. There's an awful lot of material on Hume's other writings, which...more
I definitely come away from this book confident that I have an understanding of the basic principles of Adam Smith and his life. O'Rourke tackles some serious info here and lays out fairly clearly and concisely. The only detriment to this, in fact, is the wit that he's famous for. He makes some startlingly obscure references that are fantastic when you catch them, but are more likely to just be weak or silly. He a few funny lines, but only that many. Also, I don't think you learn much here about...more
This book should be a great thing: a quick, lively introduction to what Adam Smith said and--almost as importantly--what he didn't. I read it because I wondered whether it could be a useful supplement to my teaching parts of The Wealth of Nations this fall. At his best, O'Rourke accomplishes those goals admirably. He is a very good writer and often very funny, even when one disagrees with the basis of the humor. This book often veers too quickly from Smith to snark, however, without explaining t...more
After seeing O'Rourke interviewed, I expected this book to be extremely entertaining and informative. While there is a wealth of knowledge in these pages, it reads more like a grad student's thesis than the work of a professional wit. It is very well written, although I feel he's trying to impress with his vocabulary when simpler words would suffice, and he doesn't make much of an attempt to entertain, which is important when trying to explain something as complex as Adam Smith's ideas to laymen...more
You would do well to ignore the last sentence of each paragraph, as it is the likeliest to be some of O'Rourke's "wit".
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Patrick Jake O'Rourke is an American political satirist, journalist, and writer. O'Rourke is the H. L. Mencken Research Fellow at the Cato Institute and is a regular correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly, The American Spectator, and The Weekly Standard, and frequent panelist on National Public Radio's game show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He is perhaps best known in the United Kingdom as the face...more
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“When Adam Smith was being incomprehensible he didn’t have the luxury of brief, snappy technical terms as a shorthand for incoherence.”
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