Max Weber in America

(Hardback)

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Max Weber is widely considered a founder of sociology and the modern social sciences. This book provides details about Weber's visit to the United States in 1904 with his wife Marianne - what he did, what he saw, whom he met and why, and how these experiences profoundly influenced Weber's thought on immigration, capitalism, science, and culture.

Reviews

Winner of the 2012 Distinguished Scholarly Publication Award, History of Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association "In 1904, shortly after emerging from severe psychological illness and between the two essays that made up The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Max Weber traveled with his wife, Marianne, to the U.S., where he would deliver a paper at the Congress of Arts and Science in St. Louis. Drawing from a rich variety of archival material, Scaff has written the definitive story of that trip."--Choice "Max Weber in America ranks among the very best interpretations of Max Weber's sociology."--Bryan S. Turner, American Journal of Sociology "Scaff has undertaken a prodigious amount of archival research in tracing Weber's path through the United States, and it is difficult to conceive of what would comprise a more definitive examination of this period in Weber's life and work."--John G. Gunnell, Journal of American History "This close-grained reading of Weber's American trip and the American dissemination of his writings sheds illuminating light on both... Weber scholars will find Scaff's meticulous treatment of the translation of Weber's texts extremely useful."--Daniel Rodgers, H-Net Reviews "Given its scale, the uniqueness of its insights and the relentless industry displayed, this is a work of scholarship which is most unlikely to be superseded. The study comes at Weber from an unexpected angle and adds much to the understanding of this multifaceted giant founder of sociology."--Kieran Flanagan, Canadian Journal of Sociology "[A] readable intellectual biography of a major work in social science as well as a fascinating discussion of the politics and personalities behind what seems ... an inevitable and unalterable stand alone work. Those unfamiliar with Weber may flounder at first, but the anecdotes about the various people and places should hold the reader until the rhythm of the work becomes comfortable and the ideas fall into place. A well developed and insightful presentation should maintain Scaff's status as a leading Weber scholar."--John Barnhill, 49th Parallel "[T]his is an extraordinary work of dedicated research, performed by a scholar who came to the task with genuine Weberian instincts. Scaff treats his subject with an empathy, sobriety and fairness that are a model to social and political scientists. Admittedly, not many in our ranks could approach Weber's heights of scholarly innovation, because, as Scaff quietly reminds us, he saw further and deeper into American society than most native born or foreign researchers. Max Weber in America is a tribute to a scholar who built his social theory on scientific notions of objectivity and moral impulses of decency."--Irving Louis Horowitz, European Legacy

Author Bio

Lawrence A. Scaff is professor of political science and sociology at Wayne State University. He is the author of "Fleeing the Iron Cage: Culture, Politics, and Modernity in the Thought of Max Weber".