The Wealth of Nations voted as Best Business Book

A book published more than 200 years ago has been voted the best business book of all time, according to the Financial Times.

In an online poll of its readers, The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith's influential economic treatise, published in 1776, was voted the winner by a wide margin, ahead of Barbarians at the Gate, the 1990 account by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar of the leveraged buy-out of RJR Nabisco.

Andrew Hill, Associate Editor of the FT, said: "One of the measures of greatness in the broad genre of books on business, economics and finance is that it should stand the test of time. The Wealth of Nations, published more than 200 years ago but still regularly cited, clearly passes that test and is a worthy winner."

The top five business books of all-time were selected from a list suggested by global business leaders, academics and policymakers, including Henry Tang, the Hong Kong government's Chief Secretary for Administration, who said The Wealth of Nations had helped "lay down the foundation of free market economics".