The Wealth of Nations is a work of great theoretical importance not only for economists, but also for all other social scientists, particularly historians. The latter may be taught by Smith that the relationship between capital and labor, that is, capitalism, had been established as a dynamically developing social system already in the mid-18th century, that is, before the industrial revolution.

This edition includes the first two of the total of five books of The Wealth of Nations, which contain the entirety of Smith's theoretical analyses. The author then applies these analyses to assess the economic development of various countries, for a critical analysis of the mercantilist system of economic policy, and for the economics of the state.

The edition is complemented by an Appendix, which describes the particular way in which the ideas of Adam Smith, mainly his economic ideas, spread in Greece.

The Wealth of Nations is a work that is worth and must finally be read. Only then will Adam Smith cease to be known by reputation and will be able to become known based on what he himself argued and developed.