Customer Reviews

The Max Weber Dictionary: Key Words and Central Concepts (Stanford Social Sciences)

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This valuable dictionary is of great use both for the Weber specialist as well as for the novice in sociology who wishes to acquaint herself with some fundamental (Weberian) sociological concepts. Each entry is written in a clair and pedagogical style (which is what one expects from a good dictionary), explaining in a concise and precise manner many of Weber's ideas, however, without loosing the richness and complexity that characterize them. For the expert reader, or for anyone interested in learning more about a specific Weberian concept, a number of important secondary sources is proposed. Also, each entry makes clear where one can read more about a specific idea in Weber's own works. Richard Swedberg, one of today's most distinguished experts in Max Weber, should be given praise for undertaking the burdensome but extremely important scholarly task of presenting Weber's key concepts and ideas in a coherent manner. This book is a must for any student of sociology.

"The Max Weber Dictionary: Key Words and Central Concepts" is a wonderful accomplishment - one that was much overdue. I wish it had been available to me during my time studying Weber's sociological writings.

Max Weber's writings are notoriously complex in their reading, but Swedberg and Agevall have taken up the challenge and produced a very worthy book that will help the beginner and graduate level sociology student to better understand Weber's work - perhaps even scholars in the field will benefit from this reservoir of knowledge.

"Economy and Society" is one of Max Weber's greatest works of social science - it too also poses the threat of understandability and interpretation. "The Max Weber Dictionary" helps to decipher many, if not all, of the important language (words) and concepts utilized by Weber - in this scholarly reference tool. However, "The Max Weber Dictionary" covers all of the concepts in Weber's writings.

"The Max Weber Dictionary: Key Words and Central Concepts" is a worthy addition to the literature on Max Weber's writings and to sociology in general.