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A review by holtfan
How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: An Unexpected Guide to Human Nature and Happiness by Russ Roberts
3.0
2.5 Stars
I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I appreciate the author's passion for Adam Smith and desire to convey his theories and work to modern readers.
On the other hand, one of the first things you learn in academic writing is not to bore your reader with block quotes. And this book contains many block quotes.
Russ Roberts is an Adam Smith fangirl who wishes to share his passion for the author and desires to turn Adam Smith's [b:The Theory of Moral Sentiments|25700|The Theory of Moral Sentiments|Adam Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328863965s/25700.jpg|308867] into a modern day self-help book. I think what frustrated me most about this book is that it seemed to take ideas and theories that ought to have been quite interesting and left them...shallow. I was frustrated by the repetitive nature of the work and the basic, pop-psychology lingo used to 'flesh' out the ideas.
Further, I found I did not agree (or I found a different foundation for agreeing) with many of the points of the book. (Presumably, Smith's viewpoints.)
I will read the original work eventually because if nothing else, this book piqued my interest. But at the same time, it also lowered my expectations.
I have mixed feelings about this one. On the one hand, I appreciate the author's passion for Adam Smith and desire to convey his theories and work to modern readers.
On the other hand, one of the first things you learn in academic writing is not to bore your reader with block quotes. And this book contains many block quotes.
Russ Roberts is an Adam Smith fangirl who wishes to share his passion for the author and desires to turn Adam Smith's [b:The Theory of Moral Sentiments|25700|The Theory of Moral Sentiments|Adam Smith|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328863965s/25700.jpg|308867] into a modern day self-help book. I think what frustrated me most about this book is that it seemed to take ideas and theories that ought to have been quite interesting and left them...shallow. I was frustrated by the repetitive nature of the work and the basic, pop-psychology lingo used to 'flesh' out the ideas.
Further, I found I did not agree (or I found a different foundation for agreeing) with many of the points of the book. (Presumably, Smith's viewpoints.)
I will read the original work eventually because if nothing else, this book piqued my interest. But at the same time, it also lowered my expectations.