This volume contains studies of three of the most influential economic theorists: Smith, whose masterpiece of economic theory, "The Wealth of Nations", advocated free trade; Malthus, whose polemical first "Essay on Population" generated more misunderstanding and personal vilification than any comparable figure in the history of social and political thought; and Keynes, central thinker of the 20th-century, whose doctrines continue to inspire strong feelings in admirers and detractors alike.