Ricardo is one of the most imposing figures in the history of economic thought, yet at times his writings are among the most obscure. This book traces, simplifies and clarifies Ricardo's ideas on the principal topics on which he wrote. It also provides an analysis of Ricardo's most cryptic passages and explores areas where Ricardo appears to be mistaken. Setting his writings against the context of his contemporaries, the relevance of the Ricardian contribution to subsequent economic thinking is made very clear.