Adam Smith

and the Pursuit of Perfect Liberty

James Buchan

ISBN 1861979401

ISBN 13 9781861979407

May 2007

Price £7.99

Paperback, 208 pp.

Buy this book at amazon.co.uk

View quote sheet

Subject: History

The new face of the £20 note, Adam Smith was long ago adopted as the father of a neo-conservative economic ideology, not least by Thatcher and Reagan. More recently New Labour has tried to kidnap him as an ancestor. In a vigorous and informal book James Buchan shows that Smith fits no modern political category. As befits the most accessible of all philosophers, this biography does entirely without jargon.

‘A succinct and perceptive portrait of a man whose legacy is much referred to but little understood.’
— Guardian

‘A crisp and enjoyable biography of Smith …… a carefully drawn affectionate portrait … the book displays a mastery of the little details’
— Financial Times Magazine