Western Europe, stagnant since the fall of Rome, showed signs of economic resurgence in the mid-18th century. Adam Smith was excited by the potential of this new era, and he was inspired to study the changes in Britain's evolving political institutions, the decline in the old verities of the church, the strengthening of the eternal verities of human sympathy, the ever-widening knowledge of his age, the momentous implications of the division of labour, the power of exchange, and faster growth through capital accumulation and an expanding labour force. This book presents the authentic Adam Smith and explores his underlying approach and radical thinking, aiming to re-establish his original intentions as articulated in his works and correspondence, which have been distorted by modern interpretations, assumptions and attributions. The book provides a crucial reminder of how relevant Adam Smith was in his own time, and how relevant he remains today in this era of globalisation.