Book Description
Celebrated author James Buchan breathes new life into Adam Smith's legacy and the beginnings of modern economics.
The Scottish philosopher Adam Smith (1723-1790) has been adopted by neoconservatives as the ideological father of unregulated business and small government. Politicians such as Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan promoted Smith's famous 1776 book, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, as the bible of laissez- faire economics. In this vigorous, crisp, and accessible book, James Buchan refutes much of what modern politicians and economists claim about Adam Smith and shows that, in fact, Smith transcends modern political categories.
Drawing on twenty-five years of research, Buchan demonstrates that The Wealth of Nations and Smith's 1759 masterpiece, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, are just brilliant fragments of one of the most ambitious philosophical enterprises ever attempted: the search for a just foundation for modern commercial society both in private and in public. In an increasingly crowded and discontented world, this search is ever more urgent.
Customer Reviews:
Revisionism Strikes Economics.......2007-07-23
Whenever there is an attempt by an author to explain to us lay people what the "true" thinking of a great thinker was, there has to arise a certain amount of skepticism. We have seen too many people attempt to dilute a strong message in order to please those who don't want anything close to an absolute. Such is the case here.
Adam Smith's strong intellectual support for capitalism (versus any kind of central planning) has been a thorn in some sides. Trying to take additional writings of Smith in order to dilute his message seems to be the order of the day for James Buchan's new book on Smith. Capitalism is the most efficient economic system in the world which has proven itself over and over again (East Germany-West Germany, South Korea-North Korea) yet there are the those who will never give up trying to discredit it.
Unfortunately, we are bound to see more of these attacks on capitalism as the left goes further astray trying once again to convince us to all have the same salary with no effort.
An excellent clarification on Adam Smith capitalism. It is not what you think........2006-09-10
This is a most readable and excellent book. From an academic standpoint, it has several merits.
The book's first merit is that it serves as a very good abstract of Adam Smith's lengthy and difficult tomes [Wealth of Nations in 1776 and The Theory of Moral Sentiments, 1759]. By today's standards, these books are unreadable. Buchan has painstakingly studied these books and pass on their information in a fresh, lively, and modern language. It should be required reading for any introduction to economics course.
Its second merit is that it clarifies Adam Smith's economic thoughts. Most everyone, included leading contemporary economists, consider Smith the intellectual father of free-wheeling capitalism, globalization, and free-trade. They lean on Smith to give themselves undisputable arguments. If one's thoughts are aligned with Smith, they become unquestionable. So the logic goes. But, even the majority of economics PhDs have not read Wealth of Nations and close to none have read Moral Sentiments. Over the centuries, the interpretation of Smith's work has veered increasingly to the right and into a libertarian domain. But, the interpretation has become disconnected from the original work for a simple reason: absence of reading the original work. Per Buchan, Smith's thoughts on the "laissez faire" capitalism are far more nuanced than current interpretations suggest. Smith showed a very sophisticated understanding of when markets work and when they don't. When monopolies or government are in better position to deliver certain services than free-market competitors. He also showed much concern for ethics in commerce at both the individual and organizational levels. It is as if he anticipated the potential abuse that the absence of ethics would cause (Drexel Burnham, Enron). So, Buchan rectifies for us what Adam Smith's economics were about. It was not about libertarian capitalism, but more about ethical and optimized capitalism. This is a major distinction.
The book's third merit is to place Adam Smith's mind and life in historical context of the great Scottish Enlightenment. You see Smith interact with many of his contemporaries, particularly David Hume.
Anyone interested in either history or economics will really enjoy this book. As mentioned, the book imparts so much information and clarifies much misinformation on the subject. If you enjoy this book, I also recommend Buchan's "Crowded Genius: The Scottish Enlightenment."
A very readable way to get some context for the life of Adam Smith and his writings (including "The Wealth of Nations").......2006-08-31
Adam Smith is a towering figure in modern economics and is one of the Titans of those who believe in free markets. We use Smith's term "invisible hand" to describe the way forces of competition and self-interest end up producing (on average) the right amount of goods and services to help the economy grown and meet the needs of the populace. The ideas of Adam Smith, or at least the popular notion of what his ideas are, have become so dominant that even "progressive" politicians, journalists, and economists, have tried to find the source of their world view in Smith's writings.
This interesting book by James Buchan makes the argument that too many people from every political stripe (including his conservative - free market acolytes) quote Smith too carelessly and without proper context. Buchan has spent decades of his life working on The Scottish Enlightenment (18th century Scottish History) and provides us with the development of Smith's ideas in the context of the broader development of Scottish philosophical thought. We learn about Smith's career, his writing of both the "Theory of Moral Sentiments" (and what its ideas were) and "The Wealth of Nations". Buchan shows us Smith's friendships including the importance of David Hume to Smith as well as the competitive jealousies of lesser thinkers.
Buchan is a good source for the material in this book because of the work he did in writing "Crowded with Genius" a few years back. He takes the realities of the biography of his subject and the real history of the times too seriously to allow Smith to be misused into supporting anachronistic ideas. While this is a short work, I found many things in it to be valuable and informative.
And while I can certainly grant Buchan's larger point that Smith was no free market capitalist a la Milton Friedman, I cannot accept the idea that all political persuasions draw on Smith equally or with the same sense of heritage. It is important to note that inspiration can make for a strange genealogy. There are some who follow and develop a tradition more or less directly and faithfully (Mozart of Haydn and C.P.E. Bach), there are those who follow a tradition and then break into new realms (Beethoven of Mozart and Haydn), there are those who reach back to find reasons for what they are doing to explain their own work (Schoenberg of Brahms "The Revolutionary"), and then there are those who use the past to provide legitimacy for something new (say, the Norman monarchy in England using the legends of King Arthur for their right to rule). Are all equally heirs to their claimed forbearers? Are all equally heirs?
Of course, you must arrive at your own conclusions. It is plain to me that there are distinctions and that Milton Friedman and modern free market capitalism is more of an heir to Smith than are nouveau British Socialists trying to cobble together a lineage to Smith for political advantage.
In any case, Smith's great works are more often referred to than read (even by those doing the referring), so at least you can read this very manageable work to get some context of the man, his life, his work, and his world.
Book Description
Adam Smith ... Father of Modern Economics ... Died in 1790 ... but 200 years later, his spirit is tortured by the caricatures we remember in his name. In Saving Adam Smith, he is tortured enough to return to Earth ... and so begins a journey of discovery that cuts across two centuries, as doctoral student Richard Burns puts his life on the line to rediscover Smith's most profound insight: Selfishness is not enough.
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Adam Smith ... Father of Modern Economics ... Died in 1790 ... but 200 years later, his spirit is tortured by the caricatures we remember in his name. In Saving Adam Smith, he is tortured enough to return to Earth ... and so begins a journey of discovery
Customer Reviews:
Great Economics and a Pleasure to Read.......2004-06-05
Economic science, like most social sciences, builds upon the works of previous generations. In order to leave time for new research and discovery, the accumulated wisdom of past generations is taught to new generations through summaries in textbooks and lectures.
This logical progression of economic science makes sense if the ideas and importance of past discoveries can be easily (and properly) conveyed by individuals unfamiliar with the original texts. For example, few physicists need to read the work of Newton to understand his discoveries and their importance to an understanding of how the world works today.
To some extent, the same may not be true about economics. While some ideas, such as a consumption function might be easily conveyed without reading the original texts, the same may not be true of all economic insights. The distillation of a lifetime of work into a few paragraphs may not only fail to properly convey the important nature of an author?s work, but the distillation process might, over time, distort the message so much that it an economists work is frequently interpreted to mean something very different from what was originally intended.
University of Richmond economist Jonathan B. Wight clearly believes this to be the case with Adam Smith. Since few economists today read THE WEALTH OF NATIONS, let alone the book Smith thought was his best THE THEORY OF MORAL SENTIMENTS, their knowledge of his work is often limited to ?the invisible hand.?
The invisible hand is frequently taken to mean that selfishness is enough to make markets work. As Wight demonstrates in the book, Smith?s true insight was that ?selfishness is simply not enough? to make markets work.
Wight has undertaken an important task with this book. Not only is it good fiction (at least to a graduate student in economics), it is good economics and good pedagogy. SAVING ADAM SMITH will do more for economics than 90 percent of the articles in the AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW.
Don't Bother.......2004-05-28
This book was very disappointing because I was hoping to get a new perspective on economic thought. However, what I read was nothing of the sort. It was nothing more than a silly over-hyped (on this website) novel featuring unrealistic and dislikable characters. There was little action in the realm of reality. The whole premise of the book is absolute nonsense, however perhaps it could have basic principles of econ that may be useful in the classroom. It is basically a textbook converted into a novel ( a lovestory interwoven with economic history????)
bad economics at it's worst.......2004-01-16
Ok, I am an economist, and I know that no self respecting economist these days actually believes this stuff. There is little free market in the US, there are women who don't need a man to tell her about economics (this book could not have made women sound any more stupid), and there is little virtue about this book. The fact is, the economics in this book will not make you smarter, but will simply keep the rich in control. And, perhaps the worst is, the writing is simply horrible. Practice your market skills by avoiding this book.
Economics for Real Life.......2003-02-16
All anyone ever hears about Adam Smith concerns his Wealth of Nations, everywhere from Economics class to movies like "A Beautiful Mind." This book is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about Adam Smith as a person and about what he really thought. Instead of dry biography, this book brings Adam Smith and his theories about economics and society directly into today's world. The story is funny and the characters are interesting and likeable; the novel makes the economic theories relatively painless. I've heard that a true economist is someone who sees something work in real life and wonders if it would work in theory; I think it's important for people to learn that this icon of economics was more complicated than that, and because of that I highly recommend this book.
Review of Adam Smith.......2002-11-16
I read Saving Adam Smith because the author, Dr. Jonathan Wight, was coming to my school as a visiting author. I did not know anything about Adam Smith or economics before I read it, but I learned about markets, economy and self interest v. greed. I thought the book was easy to read and I was surprised to understand the economic theory in the book. I liked the adventerous plot that kept me intested. I liked the storyline about the drive across country and all the trouble they got into. It was a fun book to read.
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Life of Adam Smith
John Rae
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
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ASIN: 1402170521
Release Date: 2001-05-30 |
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This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1895 edition by Macmillan & Co., London and New York.
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Borderlander: The Life of James Kirker, 1793-1852
Ralph Adam Smith
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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Book Description
Adam Smith wrote two books, one about economics and the other about morality. How do these books go together? How do markets and morality mix? James Otteson provides a comprehensive examination and interpretation of Smith's moral theory and demonstrates how his conception of morality applies to his understanding of markets, language and other social institutions. Considering Smith's notions of natural sympathy, the impartial spectator, human nature and human conscience, the author addresses whether Smith thinks that moral judgments enjoy a transcendent sanction.
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Adam Smith wrote two books, one about economics and the other about morality. His Wealth of Nations argues for a largely free-market economy, while his Theory of Moral Sentiments argues that human morality develops out of a mutual sympathy that people seek with one another. How do these books go together? How do markets and morality mix? James Otteson provides a comprehensive examination and interpretation of Smith's moral theory and shows how his conception of the nature of morality applies to his understanding of markets, language and other social institutions. Considering Smith's notions of natural sympathy, the impartial spectator, human nature, and human conscience the author also addresses the issue of whether Smith thinks that moral judgments enjoy a transcendent sanction. James Otteson sees Smith's theory of morality as an institution that develops unintentionally but nevertheless in an orderly way according to a market model.
Book Description
Adam Joshua can't understand why his parents want to move. He certainly doesn't! Who will his best friend Peter get to collect ants with, or to play star commander and Frankenstein if he's gone? Moving. Muck!
But moving is just the beginning of a whole series of new events for Adam Joshua. There's also a new baby sister, monsters in the night, loose teeth, new friends, dinners with his Great-Aunt Emily, and lots more.
Janice Lee Smith humorously chronicles the ups and downs in the life of a small boy, and Dick Gackenbach perfectly captures Adam Joshua's spunk and spirit in his delightful drawings.
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Bats of the Rocky Mountain West: Natural History, Ecology, and Conservation
Rick A. Adams
Manufacturer: University Press of Colorado
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Bat Ecology
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Stokes Beginner's Guide to Bats
ASIN: 0870817361 |
Book Description
Since antiquity, bats have been misunderstood and shrouded in mystery. Given misnomers such as fledermaus ("flying mouse") and murciegalo ("blind mouse"), these nocturnal flying mammals were even classified as primates by the great Carl Linnaeus, based on his knowledge of the anatomy of large Old World fruit bats. In this beautifully illustrated volume, bat specialist Rick A. Adams delves into bats' true nature and the roles these fascinating ledurblaka ("leather flutterers") play in the natural history and ecology of the Rocky Mountain West.
Bats of the Rocky Mountain West begins with a general discussion of bat biology and evolution as well as regional physiography and zoogeography. In addition, Adams describes—based on the results of extensive research—the behavior and ecology of the 31 species of bats found in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Naturalists and biologists alike will benefit from the detailed species descriptions, color photographs and illustrations, distribution maps, and echolocation sonograms. Bats of the Rocky Mountain West is a unique and valuable reference for professional bat biologists, naturalists, and wildlife enthusiasts interested in the conservation and ecology of bats in the region.
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- Diane Arbus photographs Gomer Pyle.
- Praise for devotion to a culture
- An askew view of Eastern Kentucky life
- a distorted portrait of appalachian people
- Dignity and despair, in black and white.........
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Appalachian Portraits (Author and Artist Series)
Manufacturer: Univ Pr of Mississippi (Trd)
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Appalachian Lives
ASIN: 087805667X |
Customer Reviews:
Diane Arbus photographs Gomer Pyle........2004-06-11
This book is attractive on several levels. Bluegrass fans will like the heartfelt portraits of ancient, weathered men cradling banjos, guitars, or a homemade Jew's harp. Fans of the Foxfire series of books on Appalachian crafts and survival skills will like Shelby Lee Adams' Ellis Bailey, Yeaddiss, 1989 (posing with a large animal skin); Mary Napier, Viper, 1989 (posing with squirrel trap and skins); The hog killing, 1990; and Chester and his hounds, Delphia, 1992. People who are amazed by photographer Nicholas Nixon's use of a 4X5 camera for ensemble portaits (Nicholas Nixon Photographs From One Year (1983) Untitled 31, The Friends of Photography) will find even more to admire in Shelby Lee Adams' portraits: Leddie with children, 1990; Children at Topmost, 1991; and Banks family portait, Beech Fork, 1987. Fans of photographer Russell Lee and his portraits of po' folks living in homes where newspapers line the walls for insulation (see, e.g., Russell Lee Photographer (1978) by F.Jack Hurley) will find much to admire in Shelby Adams' photographs of the Napier family home. Fans of Richard Avedon's In the American West will like Shelby Adams' The coal miner, Isom, 1988, and other portraits. Overall, though, there is something else busy at work here. Many of the photographs are shocking or chilling. All of the images depict people living in squallor. A weatherbeated young woman poses by a wheelbarrow filled with trash, wearing a misspelled tattoo on her arm reading: BORN TO LOOSE. The woman cradles a beautiful, spic'n'span baby, where the contrasting cleanliness of the baby only increases the shock that is lent by the trash and tattoo. In another portrait, three churchgoers (two men and a woman) pose by their church, smiling, but their smiles seem oddly unnatural. One of the churchgoers wears an incongruous SURF GEAR T-SHIRT. The name of their town (Hooterville) is spelled wrong, and a correction had been inserted by small hand-printed letters. These three people posing by the church have creepy smiles. The woman smiles broadly, but her face is sweaty and she has a gaping hole where a tooth is missing. One asks, are the unnatural smiles real, or did they result from the photographer's time-consuming task of adjusting (tilting, swiveling, swinging, expanding) the knobs on his 4X5 camera? Most overtly chilling are the images of the religious snake handlers and firehandlers, complete with shark-bite sized scars. Again, oddly unnatural features abound: Holiness Man holds a snake where the man has menacing eyes, and where the menacing quality is not intended. In another picture, Holiness Man places a hand on a Bible, but one of his fingers is oddly and unintentionally twisted. The man's other hand holds a snake. To conclude, Shelby Lee Adams' pictures take two approaches. The first approach is wholesome, happy families posing in squallor. This approach is also shown in Marion Post Wolcott FSA Photographs (1983) Untitled 34, The Friends of Photography, and in Social Graces by Larry Fink, published by Aperture A New Images Book. Shelby Lee Adams' second approach is portraits with incongruous or unnatural expressions, where these expressions are not intended by the subjects. The fact that the odd expressions seem not intended makes the photographs ever more chilling. Andy Grundberg expressed similar thoughts on Bill Burke's photographs of people in Kentucky: the faces we meet in his pictures seem alien, if not lurid and as viewers we are made into voyeurs (Andy Grundberg 1990) Crisis of the Real, Aperture, pages 203; 210-214). If Diane Arbus had done a portfolio of Gomer Pyle, the result would be images in Shelby Adams' second style.
Praise for devotion to a culture.......2000-07-24
Shelby Lee Adam's doesn't, as some accuse him of, train his camera on the families of Eastern Kentucky to ridcule or expose them in their poverty or backwardness. Instead, because of his devotion to capturing in an authentic way authentic people, he simply and lovingly captures their reality. Is the poverty easy to look at? No. Is the "backwardness" easy to understand? Not very. But Adam's neither condemns nor condones his subjects; he simply and carefully records. We should all be grateful for that.
An askew view of Eastern Kentucky life.......1999-11-02
I grew up in central KY, just 1 1/2 hours away from Appalachian KY. While the stories and families depicted in these photos are quite true to their nature, it may offer a skewed view of Eastern Kentucky life. Not everyone over there lives in the condition that my dad and I jokingly call "Squalor in the 'holler." However, it happens to be the part that is fascinating. I think the purpose of this book was not to represent Eastern KY, but to represent the intense poverty of the region and to share a glimpse of a lifestyle that most of us cannot comprehend. This book shows what people want to see of Appalachian KY. It's what they are looking for, and it is delivered. That is a place that time has left behind. It's one of the poorest regions in the U.S. due to several certain factors and it is fascinating to see how other folks live. It is a different world over there. If you enjoy thinking about human geography and sociology, this book may welllead to hours of thought.
a distorted portrait of appalachian people.......1998-12-15
This book paints a disturbingly distorted portrait of a people who have been constantly misrepresented by our society. I was born in Eastern Kentucky, in the Appalachian Mountains, and am personally offended by this book. Adams and Smith deliberately sought out to find the most backward people they could, and pass them off to the rest of the nation as mainstream Appalachia. Portraits slaps the face of everyone from the Appalachian area, and keeps the extremely unfair stereotype of Appalachia alive. It is a very culturally biased piece of work, and both Adams and Smith should have known better.
Dignity and despair, in black and white................1998-11-11
Shelby Lee Adams book offers the reader a chance to glimpse a world that is real, is current and is so close by as to be uncomfortable. Through his photographs he has been able to capture uncompromising images of the Appalachian mountain people with terrible accuracy. Whilst their lifestyle and habits might challange the most open minded reader, the characters deep behind the oh-so-human faces tell a different story; one of a long history of a lifestyle that leads to no envy, no greed, just acceptance. Lee Smith's narrative captures in words what Shelby's does in black and white. It doesn't compromise, it doesn't back off, it goes for the jugular, and in that respect it is a book to buy, to keep and to treasure.
Book Description
This first oral history of living Medal of Honor winners evokes Flags of Our Fathers with stirring accounts of patriotic valor.
This New York Times best-selling account of battlefield courage celebrates the larger-than-life sacrifices of those awarded the nation's highest honor for valor in combat. Exclusive interviews with these twenty-four men—firsthand accounts of battlefield sacrifice from the greatest generation to Vietnam, along with before-and-after stories—form the core of this classic work. The recipients, as portrayed here, represent a cross-section as diverse as America itself—officers and enlisted men; African Americans, Hispanics, and Caucasians; men who went on to become famous (Daniel Inouye, James Stockdale, Bob Kerrey) and others who returned proudly to small towns. Beyond Glory, in the voices of these heroes, is a testament to the courage of the American nation.
Customer Reviews:
Beyond Glory.......2005-04-25
Beyond Glory is a book full of the memoirs of Veterans. The Veterans are Medal of Honor recipients who are telling their stories from WWII to Vietnam. This is a book for anyone interested in war related things. Since I like that sort of thing, I found this book to be excellent and worthwhile. The genre of this book is Non- fiction since it is real stories from real people. The author, Larry Smith, went to many living recipients and personally interviewed them to get their stories literally in their own words. That is another thing that makes this book so good. He also used great detail and seemed like he was really there telling you the story. I thought this book was excellently written and very interesting. I would rate it 5 stars out of 5 stars. This, in truth, was one of the best books I have ever read and recommend it to everyone, especially if you are a history buff and like to read about War.
Both the book and the play are terrific!.......2004-04-19
Larry Smith's book brings you the reality of true heroes in their own words, just ordinary folks doing their jobs. Actor/writer/director Stephen Lang's theatrical production of "Beyond Glory" may bring you to tears as you join these men "just doing their jobs" in a most extraordinary way. Lang's transition from character to character is as fascinating as each character's endearing story. The play is currently running in Arlington, VA, at the Women's Memorial Theater now, but Lang hopes to take it on the road to colleges and community theaters across the country.
Beyond Glory....Brought to Life.......2004-04-19
The book is wonderful...especially if you want to read about just people who through circumstances become- whether they want to or not---heros.
If you want to see some of these stories brought to life---from now through May 2, 2004 you can see Stephen Lang (Stonewall Jackson "Gods and Generals") portray eight Recipients interviewed for this book at the Women's Armed Forces Memorial at Arlington Cemetery. (go to www.beyondglory.org) You will witness a performance that will leave quite an impression
Good, Almost Great........2003-08-05
The interviews are ace and remarkable in their clarity and insight. These are let down by the lack of context as to the battle within the wider campaign and a map or two would have enabled the reader to see the landscape and the positions, both would have added to the understanding of the action taken by each of the medal winners. Another example is the cover photo, listed as US Army coming ashore on Tinian Island in the Pacific Islands, which is sort of correct but Tinian is one of the northern Mariana islands (next to Sapian which was a major Marine victory) and was the home of the 509th Bomb Group which lead the atomic raids on Japan, a small detail yet one that would context this good book even better.
Good look at what MOH awardees went through.......2003-07-25
Smith has interviewed twenty-three recipients of the Medal of Honor, and coupled the edited interviews with brief scene-setting passages describing the war and the individual's circumstances. Official citations are appended. Acts for which the Medal was awarded occurred in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Some of the names are familiar-Senators James Stockdale, Daniel Inouye, and Bob Kerry. Most are little-known. They are of varied races, education, and background. Some are eloquent, as is Sen. Kerry on patriotism, guilt and redemption; others are blunt and inarticulate. The one common thread is that they generally consider themselves to be ordinary men who rose to an occasion they did not seek. Several make the point that they are not "winners," since in no sense did they compete for the Medal: they prefer to refer to themselves as recipients of an award. Smith was an editor of Parade Magazine, and his analysis never rises above that level, but the stories of the recipients are powerful in themselves.
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Life of Adam Smith
Richard Burdon Haldane
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1421274035
Release Date: 2005-11-30 |
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This Elibron Classics edition is a facsimile reprint of a 1887 edition by Walter Scott, London.
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