Review by Choice Review
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 (PESC), Max Weber traveled with his wife, Marianne, to the US, 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 (political science and sociology, Wayne State Univ.) has written the definitive story of that trip. Each of the first nine chapters combines a theme with a stop in the Webers' travels: New York (immigrants), Chicago (capitalism), St. Louis (science), Oklahoma (the frontier), the Deep South (race), the Atlantic South (sect religion), Boston (the Protestant ethic), and New York City (modernity). Chapter 10 makes summary statements about the Webers' impressions. Among the highlights of the account are Weber's interactions with W. E. B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington (indirectly), and William James. The final three chapters examine the early reception of Weber's works in the US, beginning in the 1920s: the network of US scholars emanating from five universities that formed the initial audience; a fascinating account of Talcott Parsons's translation of PESC; and the introduction of Weber's theoretical work. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General collections; upper-division undergraduates and above. C. T. Loader University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
