An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith. Third overall edition, first octavo edition, in three volumes. Published by W. Strahan and T. Cadell, London. 1784. Bound in contemporary full tree calf with gilt embellishments and leather title labels to spines. 499, 518, (5), 465 pp., plus index and ad leaf at the end of vol. III. Former owners signature, A. Carroll, to the title page of all three volumes and first page of text in vol. I. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, generally referred to as The Wealth of Nations, is the magnum opus of the Scottish economist and moral philosopher Adam Smith, 1723 to 1790. First published in 1776, the book has become a fundamental work in classical economics. Antiquarian Librarian Books For Collectors.