On the Wealth of Nations

P.J. O’Rourke gives a modern‐​day spin on The Wealth of Nations and Adam Smith’s revolutionary theories on liberty

David Boaz

David Boaz is the executive vice president of the Cato Institute and has played a key role in the development of the Cato Institute and the libertarian movement. He is the author of The Libertarian Mind: A Manifesto for Freedom and the editor of The Libertarian Reader.

Boaz is a provocative commentator and a leading authority on domestic issues such as education choice, drug legalization, the growth of government, and the rise of libertarianism. Boaz is the former editor of New Guard magazine and was executive director of the Council for a Competitive Economy prior to joining Cato in 1981. The earlier edition of The Libertarian Mind, titled Libertarianism: A Primer, was described by the Los Angeles Times as “a well‐​researched manifesto of libertarian ideas.” His other books include The Politics of Freedom and the Cato Handbook for Policymakers.

His articles have been published in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, National Review, and Slate, and he wrote the entry on libertarianism for Encyclopedia Britannica. Finally he is a frequent guest on national television and radio shows.

P. J. O’Rourke

A Cato Institute Book Forum featuring the author, P. J. O’Rourke, America’s leading political humorist and Cato H. L. Mencken research fellow. Moderated by David Boaz. P.J. O’Rourke will give a modern‐​day spin on The Wealth of Nations and Adam Smith’s revolutionary theories on liberty: pursuit of self‐​interest, division of labor, and freedom of trade. Employing Smith’s insights, P. J. will tackle such present day topics as outsourcing, blogs, central banks, and lobbyists, to name just a few. As P. J. puts it, he read The Wealth of Nations “so you don’t have to.”