Adam Smith in His Time and Ours

<p>Counter to the popular impression that Adam Smith was a champion of selfishness and greed Jerry Muller shows that the <i>Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations</i> maintained that markets served to promote the well-being of the populace and that government must intervene to counteract the negative effects of the pursuit of self-interest. Smith's analysis went beyond economics to embrace a larger civilizing project designed to create a more decent society.</p>