From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology [Paperback]

Max Weber (Author), H. H. Gerth (Editor, Translator), C. Wright Mills (Editor, Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195004620 | ISBN-13: 978-0195004625 | Publication Date: December 31, 1958

An introduction to the work of the greatest German sociologist and a key figure in the development of present-day sociological thought.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Weber is essential to an understanding of sociological theory, and this is the quintessential Weber--a gold mine of insights into the workings of society."--Leslie Wasson, University of South Florida

"Still the best compilation of texts by Weber."--Peter Jelavich, University of Texas, Austin

"Wonderful....A classic for teaching modern EUuropean intellectual and cultural history."--Marjorie Beale, University of California

"An excellent collection of papers from Max Weber. This is must reading for students of sociology."--Sronja Szelenyi, Stanford University

"Still the single best book by and about Max Weber."--Terry Boswell, Emory University

"The writings selected are representative of a wide range of the author's exceedingly verstaile and comprehensive studies."--Talcott Parsons, Annals of the American Academy of Political Science

"A good and accessible compilation of Weber's major themes."--Laurel Kearns, Agnes Scott College

"A good, solid anthology; wide-ranging in its contents and should be standard in many sociology courses."--Gregory O'Dea, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

"Superb collection of key texts!"--Szonja Szelenyi, Stanford University

About the Author

Max Weber (1864-1920) was a German political economist and sociologist who is considered one of the founders of the modern study of sociology and public administration.

Product Details

• Paperback: 490 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (Galaxy imprint) (December 31, 1958)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195004620
• ISBN-13: 978-0195004625
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent introduction to Weber's work, December 3, 1999

By 

Al Kihano (Iskandria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology (Paperback)

Gerth and Mills' reader provides an excellent introduction to Weber's life and thought. This edition includes excerpts from _Economy and Society_, the brilliant essays ``Politics as a Vocation'' and ``Science as a Vocation,'' plus a brief critical biography and material from other sources.

Weber had so much to say about so many subjects that any anthology would require a well-considered method of organization; this book has that. It is easy to navigate. When I want to know what Weber said about a particular subject, I look in _From Max Weber_.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seminal Work By Classic Social Theorist Max Weber, September 2, 2004

By 

Barron Laycock "Labradorman" (Temple, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From Max Weber: Essays in Sociology (Paperback)

What is most curious about the home page for this classic academic work is that Amazon does not explain that this text is the fruit of one the most singularly important academic translations in the 20th century, accomplished by the team of sociologists Hans Gerth and C. Wright Mills (who later became an immensely influential classic sociologist himself). First published after the Second World War, the text provided access at long last to a treasure trove of previously untranslated works by Weber for the American academic community, and thus transformed the nature of the way American social scientists understood modern social theory.

It is no exaggeration to say that Weber's genius was his ability to successfully integrate the critical essence of the Marxian analysis of capitalist society with more functionally-oriented works such that even as stodgy and conservative a theorist as Talcott Parson soon found common analytical purpose with Weber's theoretical views! before long all the academic community was enthralled by the scope and verve of Weber's complex vision of a social theory informed with a comprehensive view of social action, such that all social actions can be meaningfully located within the welter of the purposes, motives, and values of the interacting individuals themselves. This was indeed an intelelctual revolution within social theory, and we can still find bibliophiles and academic devotees still poring over the nuances and variations in themes in Weber's considerable body of works.

After the publication of these essays, much more of his corpus of works was successfully translated and used in American university settings. Yet Weber's prose was never an "easy read", nor was his message about the evolving nature of contemporary bureaucratic society necessarily a heartening one; he was convinced we were turning toward a dark and mechanistic age, what he himself frequently characterized as being the "iron cage" of rationalization. His was the dark vision later shared by intellectuals like Aldous Huxley of a brave new world of petty diversions and a systematic but innocuous autocratic manipulation of everyman. Still, Weber's works stand as a testament to the power of an individual intellect. I recommend this book for anyone interested in better understanding him and his theoretical views. Enjoy!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this edition, May 1, 2010

By 

Joao D. M. Ladeira "João Martins Ladeira" (Brazil) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

I strongly recommend that you don't buy that edition in any circumstance! It's just a photocopy, with lots of underline. Some pages are really hard to read. Funny thing: it's a expensive "edition". My opinion: Amazon must drop out this item from the bookstore. Really.