Adam Smith on the productive magic of specialisation and free exchange

This year is the 250th anniversary of one of the most transformative books ever written: Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). And to mark the occasion, I have created an accessible full-length graphic novel version!

Smith’s book laid the foundations of modern economics, explaining how free markets, specialisation and well-channeled self-interest create prosperity for all. It influenced generations of thinkers and policymakers, and continues to underpin debates on trade, regulation, taxation, cronyism, protectionism and government even today.

This one-page scene from my Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations—The Graphic Novel depicts Smith taking his student, the young Duke of Buccleuch, to a bustling market, where Smith demonstrates the productive magic of specialisation and free exchange. Through voluntary trade, and out of their own self-interest, specialist stallholders—butchers, bakers, pin makers (and some anachronistic others) serve and bring value to their customers.

I hope my graphic novel will bring Adam Smith’s profound ideas to a new, younger generation. You should buy one—or by several and give them to your friends!