Our Great Purpose

""Ryan Patrick Hanley has provided a succinct, witty and informative work on the relevance of Adam Smith today, mercifully released from the old 'father of capitalism' misrepresentation. . . . An excellent primer on the true Smith.""---Stuart Kelly, Scotland on Sunday ""[Adam] Smith had a way of pulling all aspects of human society together, from eating and drinking with friends to trading on the stock exchange. To separate them destroys the larger picture. . . . While Smith never advocated 'a single best way for all people to live,' . . . [he] deftly connected all human activity into a single, philosophical portrait, and Our Great Purpose makes a compelling case for us to study it closely.""---David J. Davis, Wall Street Journal ""An accessible, erudite, and concise introduction to Adam Smith in full, the moral philosopher of wisdom and prudence.""---Jordan Ballor ""Hanley is a distinguished political scientist at Boston College who has specialized in Smith; here in thirty short chapters he concentrates his accumulated expertize to deliver an Ariadne’s thread to guide the reader through the multiple issues Smith introduces and explores. . . . This should be passed out to all beginning students of Economics. ""---Patrick Madigan, Heythrop Journal ""An essential text of practical wisdom.""---David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer ""This excellent book deserves a wide audience and should be required reading for every college freshman.""---J. H. Spence, Choice Reviews ""A gem of a book, offering fresh insights into Smith’s writings and drawing holistic connections that make his philosophy come alive.""---Jonathan Wight, The American Economist