Another discredited supposition was my expectation that Smith’s famous “invisible hand” statement would be explained thoroughly. ADVERTISEMENTSmith used the “invisible hand” metaphor only three times in all his published writing. He also uses it in “The History of Astronomy” on how early civilizations would use the “invisible hand of Jupiter” to explain the natural phenomena of storms and lightning. I’m left pondering whether “invisible hand” is really a reference to divine providence rather than a defining principle of free-market capitalism. With the sunk cost of reading Smith’s book, I’m determined to complete all five volumes, so I’ll pass on the party.