SMITH, Adam (1723-1790). An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. London: A. Strahan; and T. Cadell, 1793, 1789, 1793.
3 volumes, 8vo (216 x 127 mm). (Light spotting or marginal toning to titles and a few others.) Modern quarter calf. Provenance: W.B. Rhodes (stamp on original front blank).
Mixed set: Vols.1 and 3 are seventh editions, vol.2 is a fifth edition. In his Wealth of Nations, Smith "begins with the thought that labour is the source from which a nation derives what is necessary to it. The improvement of the division of labour is the measure of productivity and in it lies the human propensity to barter and exchange... The Wealth of Nations ends with a history of economic development, a definitive onslaught on the mercantile system, and some prophetic speculations on the limits of economic control" (PMM 221, first edition).
