"Issledovaniye o prirode i prichinakh bogatstva narodov" – eto krayeugol'nyy kamen' klassicheskoy politicheskoy ekonomii. V etoy knige A. Smit obobshchil ekonomicheskiye idei i teorii predshestvennikov, vyrabotal sistemu kategoriy, metodov i printsipov ekonomicheskoy nauki i okazal reshayushcheye vliyaniye na yeye razvitiye.