Recognized almost instantly upon its publication in 1776 as the essential work of economics, The Wealth of Countries was also recognized as really extended: the initial edition totaled over 900 pages in two volumes-including the blockbuster 67-page ‘digression concerning the variations in the worthiness of silver during the final four centuries,’ which, regarding to P. J. O’Rourke, ‘to those uninterested in the historiography of currency supply, is similar to reading Contemporary Maturity in Urdu.’ Although daunting, Smith’s tome is still necessary to understanding such current scorching topics as outsourcing, trade imbalances, and Angelina Jolie. Within this hilarious, approachable, and insightful study of Smith and his groundbreaking function, O’Rourke puts his brand wit to great use and shows us why Smith is still relevant, why what seems obvious right now was once groundbreaking, and why the quest for self-interest is indeed important.