38 replies to this topic

[thehidden]

hey all...i know we have some financial minds in here and i am wondering if anyone has read The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith?

I am interested in reading it, but I am also interested in some concepts and ideas in it that relate to money and motivation towards workers

[mrdannyg]

the actual book is pretty difficult to read. if you're interested in the ideas, i'd consider reading summaries/commentaries on it.

[KDawgCometh]

the actual book is pretty difficult to read

a lot of philosophy and political thought from that era is very hard to read in general. I think that its near impossible to just dive right on in to guys like Kant, Smith, Hegel, etc w/o familiarizing yourself with many of the thinkers that came before them like Locke, Decartes, Hobbes, etc. basically, read teh second treatise of government first, then start getting into the later 18th and early 19th century thinkers as many of them base their writings on it in different ways

[thehidden]

the actual book is pretty difficult to read. if you're interested in the ideas, i'd consider reading summaries/commentaries on it.

hmm good suggestion...I still would love to read it...I am not intimidated by difficult reading. Only one way to expand ones mind right? Although i am not a fantastic mathamatician I am very interested in Economics. Esspecially when related to the future world of business. I personally past theories and trends will help greatly to shape the future of the world. Hense some of my interest.

Actually if you have some time (though i remember you are writing a bunch of securities tests right?) Check out "A Whole New Mind" By Daniel H Pink. It is all about the shifts in todays business trends and the different hemespheres of the brain etc. interesting read!!

a lot of philosophy and political thought from that era is very hard to read in general. I think that its near impossible to just dive right on in to guys like Kant, Smith, Hegel, etc w/o familiarizing yourself with many of the thinkers that came before them like Locke, Decartes, Hobbes, etc. basically, read teh second treatise of government first, then start getting into the later 18th and early 19th century thinkers as many of them base their writings on it in different ways

dammit, my reading list and collection can only get so big! (i collect classic literature, I have quite an extensive Churchill collection)

I like to dive right in sometimes, IMO it might help to shape some ideas that are ratteling around in ones brain.

[KDawgCometh]

I am not intimidated by difficult reading

the difficulty lies in the verbiage that he uses, so being familiar with some of the ideas that he is talking about will help a lot in your understanding of what he is writing. The same goes for Hegel, as with him, being familiar with smith and kant is imperative to comprehend the things he's saying

[thehidden]

the difficulty lies in the verbiage that he uses, so being familiar with some of the ideas that he is talking about will help a lot in your understanding of what he is writing. The same goes for Hegel, as with him, being familiar with smith and kant is imperative to comprehend the things he's saying

duely noted thanks, I don't plan on any of this being a short term read. I like to read multiple things at once over an extended period of time.

Thanks for your help Kdawg

Ira

[KDawgCometh]

duely noted thanks, I don't plan on any of this being a short term read. I like to read multiple things at once over an extended period of time.

Thanks for your help Kdawg

Ira

no problem. I'm not trying to discourage you in the slightest, its just that many of the writings of the enlightenment era are very dense and require many readings to start to understand. Many people have spent their entire lives disecting thinkers of that period. SOmething that you need to keep in mind is that while it is a treatise about economics, its more a treatise about philosophy and political thought. There was a lot of overlap during that time, and its the same as looking at Marx through both philosophical and economic eyes

[thehidden]

no problem. I'm not trying to discourage you in the slightest, its just that many of the writings of the enlightenment era are very dense and require many readings to start to understand. Many people have spent their entire lives disecting thinkers of that period. SOmething that you need to keep in mind is that while it is a treatise about economics, its more a treatise about philosophy and political thought. There was a lot of overlap during that time, and its the same as looking at Marx through both philosophical and economic eyes

didn't think that at all.

I appreciate your advice, it's an exciting challenge to dive into and to be successful in any challenge you do need to prepare.

Thanks

[gkunit20]

I read segments of this last year in AP US History. From what I read, it was good. Then again, I didn't really read anything in APUSH.

[thehidden]

I read segments of this last year in AP US History. From what I read, it was good. Then again, I didn't really read anything in APUSH.

cool care to elaborate?

[AcesUp46]

I've read Wealth of Nations and there's not much Economics in there (aside from Adam Smith telling us in several different ways how the free market is superior). It's more of a philosophy book to me rather than an Economics one.

Also, if you intend to read the whole book, I suggest reading it in tandem with Das Kapital by Marx. They both have different perspectives on where wealth comes from.

For some light and easy reads, I suggest you look for the following books:
1. Freakonomics by Steve Levitt. I took a couple of classes with him and he's a very friendly guy and does lots of interesting research.
2. Tipping Point and Blink. These two books present some pretty well known psychological research, especially in the field of social psychology.

If you're interested in more Economics reading, do PM me. I can recommend some good resources, although I'm not particularly well versed in issues relating to labor economics.

[KDawgCometh]

It's more of a philosophy book to me rather than an Economics one.

I agree wholeheartedly. Even a book like the federalist papers are more a collection of philosophies then being a true way of forming a state. I cut out what u said about Das Kapital, but, I think that before anyone goes off into that, they really need to read the Communist Manifesto as Das Kapital is extremely dense reading and I really labored getting through it(and I am a big fan of marx and engels), so having some familiarity in their writings goes a long way to understanding Das Kapital. I would throw in reading Hegel's Philosophy of Right before diving into Das Kapital

didn't think that at all.

I appreciate your advice, it's an exciting challenge to dive into and to be successful in any challenge you do need to prepare.

Thanks

cool. It takes a bunch of readings for many of these books to really understand them. I've read teh federalist papers 4 times and the Second Treatise of Government 3 times because there is a lot to chew on, and those are some of the more easier reads when dealing with political thought/philosophy books. I would also recomend you reading Plato's republic if you haven't, as every single book in this realm is has a basis in it in some way or another

[thehidden]

this thread makes me feel good

[AcesUp46]

I agree wholeheartedly. Even a book like the federalist papers are more a collection of philosophies then being a true way of forming a state. I cut out what u said about Das Kapital, but, I think that before anyone goes off into that, they really need to read the Communist Manifesto as Das Kapital is extremely dense reading and I really labored getting through it(and I am a big fan of marx and engels), so having some familiarity in their writings goes a long way to understanding Das Kapital. I would throw in reading Hegel's Philosophy of Right before diving into Das Kapital
cool. It takes a bunch of readings for many of these books to really understand them. I've read teh federalist papers 4 times and the Second Treatise of Government 3 times because there is a lot to chew on, and those are some of the more easier reads when dealing with political thought/philosophy books. I would also recomend you reading Plato's republic if you haven't, as every single book in this realm is has a basis in it in some way or another

lol...at the rate we are throwing out books for him to read, he could graduate with a degree in political economy or philosophy.

Anyway KDawg, are you a philosophy student or prof or something?

[KDawgCometh]

Anyway KDawg, are you a philosophy student or prof or something?

I majored in Poli Sci at rutgers. My problem was that I didn't go to any of my other classes then Poli Sci, so now I am living with my mom and preparing to enroll at DePaul as a Poli Sci major. In short, i love talking about this stuff and enjoy seeing people be interested in philosophy and political science

this thread makes me feel good

I can't remember the last time that there has been this type of discussion that has been civil on this site. Consider the stuff that we are talking about, normally things launch off into pissing contests about whose political philosophy is better

[ajs510]

I majored in Poli Sci at rutgers. My problem was that I didn't go to any of my other classes then Poli Sci, so now I am living with my mom and preparing to enroll at DePaul as a Poli Sci major. In short, i love talking about this stuff and enjoy seeing people be interested in philosophy and political science

Being a Ad-Hoc Venture Capitalist is nothing to be ashamed of Keith...

[KDawgCometh]

Being a Ad-Hoc Venture Capitalist is nothing to be ashamed of Keith...

you are reffering to something adam, but I can't put my finger on it :slyly grinning face: :ashamed that you acutally used a smiley face: :along with biggest miscarriage of justice with a big wink face:

[hblask]

Also, if you intend to read the whole book, I suggest reading it in tandem with Das Kapital by Marx. They both have different perspectives on where wealth comes from.

Read Das Kapital if you like historical mistakes. It'll be like reading a defense of slavery that was written in 1860. Das Kapital is pretty much in the dustbin of historical stupidity now.

If you want a more readable and modern version of free market ideas than Adam Smith, ready Hayek's "The Fatal Conceit".

[KDawgCometh]

Read Das Kapital if you like historical mistakes. It'll be like reading a defense of slavery that was written in 1860. Das Kapital is pretty much in the dustbin of historical stupidity now.

by saying this, its painfully obvious that you completely missed the point on their take on history. Go read a bunch of Hegel and then reread it, as Marx and Engels' view of history comes straight from Hegel's theory of the dialectic. In fact, because of the Dialectic, Francis Fukyama has made the claim that we are at the end of history as the dialectic no longer exists

[Flack_attack]

I read segments of this last year in AP US History. From what I read, it was good. Then again, I didn't really read anything in APUSH.

Im in APUSH now. What'd you get on the AP exam?