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Author: P. J. O'Rourke
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (December 2006)
Pages: 256 pages, Hardcover
Price: $21.95
ISBN-10 0871139499
ISBN-13 978-0871139498
Other Editions Paperback
Having grown up on the P.J. O'Rourke of "All the Trouble in the World," "Holidays in Hell," and "Eat the Rich" I have to admit a certain affinity for P.J., developed from a familiarity with him in his prime. This affinity is what drove me to pick up this book, and although I'm certainly not disappointed with it, P.J. is definitely showing his age. A lot of his jokes are even more arcane, and require a near Ph.D. in Western Civilization or English Literature to get the references, and some of his common antics seem too comfortable for him and he relies on them perhaps a bit too much.
Nonetheless O'Rourke provides a brief and enjoyable book report on Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations. O'Rourke -despite the fact that he is clearly brilliant and extremely knowledgeable of history- has always taken the stance of stepping back, playing dumb to the details and "nuances" of any situation, and just pointing and laughing at the complete absurdity that can only be seen at an impartial distance. He rarely tries to explain. Throughout his expositions of the ridiculousness of his subject matters he subtly weaves in several philosophical values he feels are constantly affirmed around him, including personal responsibility, freedom, and the pursuit of self interest. He is a big L libertarian and it shows.
From reading this book you will get just the lightest taste of what Adam Smith's the Wealth of Nations is all about. In fact, P.J. spends most of him time prominently displaying the myriad contradictions throughout the book, and quotes at length Smith's writings that sound both far right and far left, exploding the myth that any side of today's political debate can claim Smith on their side.
What you will learn in this book is not so much what the Wealth of Nations is all about, but about the history of the times that created it, and what it meant in the context of its own time as opposed to trying to interpret it in a modern, or in a "timeless" manner. The last chapter on the character of Smith himself, of which precious little is known, is truly one of the most interesting and funniest parts of the book.
This is not because of how O'Rourke writes it but because it's intriguing to find out that Smith is basically a very likeable goof in person, and someone with a tremendous amount of personal character.
If you're an old school O'Rourke fan you'll derive some enjoyment and some reaffirming philosophical wisdom from this book. For newcomers to O'Rourke they may be somewhat put off or disappointed, especially since P.J. has fallen back heavy on the peculiarities of his style. 
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