Observations on the Means of Exciting a Spirit of National Industry;: chiefly intended to promote the agriculture, commerce, manufactures, and fisheries, of Scotland. In A Series Of Letters To A Friend. Written In The Year One Thousand Seven Hundred And Seventy-Five,

Edinburgh: printed for Thomas Cadell, London; and Charles Elliot, Edinburgh,, 1777. A significant work of Scottish economics First edition, fine paper issue, of Anderson's magnum opus, a major treatise in development economics, offering a prescription for the development of contemporary Scotland with an emphasis on the backward Highlands. "Anderson was second to none as a development economist. His writings lay great stress on the deadening effects of outmoded (feudal) institutions, adverse political and historic legacies, poor communications allied with sparse population, and repressive English-inspired taxation - especially the duties on salt and coal - on Scottish development. His proposals for improvement emphasized the gradualist approach - abstract economic models and grandiose schemes attracted his scorn - where the latent desire of man to improve his lot was freed from constraint and encouraged by state action and private self-interested philanthropy. Thus, though Anderson in general supported laisser-faire as being an essential requisite of optimal development, the paternalistic encouragement of such development was frequently necessary, especially in the early stages" (New Palgrave). The title page has the ownership signature of Alexander Irvine, possibly the 18th Laird of Drum (1754-1844) - it is recorded that "landowners and tenant farmers took their lead from books promoting agricultural improvement, including the Irvine laird of Drum Castle, who studied James Anderson's tactics in overcoming the harvest failure that blighted Aberdeenshire in 1782" (Brown, p. 428). ESTC notes this issue (T128252) as "a reimpression of the T. Cadell and C. Elliot 1777 edition, on fine paper, with cancel titlepage and half-title"; there is no established priority of issue compared with that on regular paper (ESTC T141276), which lists the same publishers as "T. Cadell, London; and C. Elliot, Edinburgh". This issue is notably scarcer - ESTC locates 12 copies of this issue, compared to 27 of the regular paper issue. Quarto (261 x 207 mm). Early 19th-century diced russia, red morocco label, marbled edges. Complete with half-title and addenda. Binding fresh, contents lightly toned, repaired short closed tear to half-title, longer repaired tears slightly affecting text without loss to 3O4 and 3S4. A very good, attractive copy. Einaudi 117; ESTC T128252; Goldsmiths' 11528; Kress B.6. Stephen W. Brown, The Edinburgh History of the Book in Scotland, vol. II, 2011.