First published in 1776, The Wealth of Nations is the foundation of modern economic thought and remains the single most important account of the rise of, and the principles behind, modern capitalism.

Bk. 1. Of the causes of improvement in the productive powers of labour, and of the order according to which its produce is naturally distributed among the different ranks of the people -- Bk. 2. Of the nature, accumulation, and employment of stock -- Bk. 3. Of the different progress of opulence in different nations -- Bk. 4. Of systems of political economy -- Bk. 5. Of the revenue of the sovereign or commonwealth.