Who is Adam Smith?

I'm reading about Adam Smith today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smith

This is the part that relates to my rhetoric class:

"In 1759 he published his The Theory of Moral Sentiments, embodying some of his Glasgow lectures. This work, which established Smith's reputation in his day, was concerned with how human communication depends on sympathy between agent and spectator (that is, the individual and other members of society). His capacity for fluent, persuasive, if rather rhetorical argument is much in evidence. He bases his explanation, not as the third Lord Shaftesbury and Hutcheson had done, on a special "moral sense", nor (like Hume) on utility, but on sympathy."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_of_Moral_Sentiments

If you want to read The Theory of Moral Sentiments:

http://www.econlib.org/library/Smith/smMS.html