For more than 100 years, Max Weber's The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism has set the parameters for the debate over the origins of modern capitalism. Now more timely and thought provoking than ever, this esteemed classic of twentieth-century social science examines the deep cultural "f[...]

In this accessible and engaging work, Kalberg shows how Webera s work casts a direct light upon issues of pressing importance for comparative--historical research today addressing in a forceful way the whole range of problems and dilemmas confronted by the comparative--historical enterprise.[...]