author
John Rae
1845–1915
A Scottish journalist and biographer best remembered for the influential Life of Adam Smith, he helped shape how later readers understood one of economics' founding figures. He also spent years in literary journalism, editing and writing on politics, ideas, and public life.
2 Audiobooks
Life of Adam Smith
by John Rae
Contemporary Socialism
by John Rae
About the author
Born in 1845, John Rae was a Scottish journalist, editor, and biographer whose work moved between literature, politics, and economic thought. He wrote for important periodicals including The Contemporary Review and The British Quarterly Review, building a reputation as a clear and serious commentator.
He is best known today for Life of Adam Smith (1895), a biography that became a standard reference on Smith for many years. Rae also wrote books such as Contemporary Socialism, showing his interest in the major social and political debates of his time.
Rae died in 1915, but his writing still matters to readers interested in the intellectual world of the late nineteenth century. His work is especially valuable for the way it brings together biography, journalism, and the history of ideas in an accessible style.