Max Weber (1864–1920) has long been considered a founding figure of sociology. This book offers a fresh reading of Weber's work and highlights his thinking about the economy and economic interactions in society. Complicated by the reception history precipitated by his untimely death, the workings of the economy and capitalism are themes that run throughout his writings but are often overlooked or subordinated to his sociology.

In an attempt to restore Weber's place in the history of economics and to relate his approach to social science to the field today, a distinguished group of Weberian scholars explore the life and works of Max Weber, his interest in economic institutions and forms and his most influential analytical concepts.