The Amazing Journey of Adam Smith

"Adam Smith was dumbfounded. Could he really be attending an event taking place at the start of the third millennium? Smith tried to concentrate on what the speaker was saying. Who was he? What was going on? And what was the meaning of the words of the painting?" So begins The Amazing Journey of Adam Smith as the father of modern economics embarks on a voyage through time to discover whether his famous conclusion in The Wealth of Nations remains valid today: . . . he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. . . . By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. In this imaginative and thought provoking novel, Frank Werner explores the connection between financial self-interest and the evolving needs of society, often referred to as 'global sustainability.' As Adam Smith discovers, in the 21st century-where businesses can significantly damage or contribute to the world's ecological and social well being-the pursuit of profits may no longer be sufficient to create a sustainable world.