Episode · Freakonomics Radio · 2026-05-08
Books mentioned on 674. How Does a Composer Feel After the World Premiere?
Great. Then depressed.
Stephen Dubner discussed The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith and Adam Smith’s America by Glory M. Liu.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Wealth of Nations
The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith is a foundational 1776 text by the Scottish thinker often regarded as the father of modern economics, exploring free markets, capitalism, and the mechanics of national wealth.
Discussed“At the end of March, the composer David Lang debuted a modern piece of music set to a 250-year-old book, Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations.”
Where to get it
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Adam Smith’s America
Adam Smith’s America by Glory M.
Discussed“When we published a Freakonomics Radio series on Adam Smith a few years ago, we interviewed Glory Liu, a political scientist at Georgetown and author of a book called Adam Smith's America: How a Scottish philosopher became an icon of American capitalism.”
Where to get it
