New Ideas for the Twenty First Century

Book excerpt: In Mostly About Me, Rudolph H. Weingartner gives a detailed and thoughtful account of a varied life that took him from pre-Hitler Heidelberg to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, via many intervening stops. He became an American during his adolescence in New York and while serving on an LST in the U.S. Navy. He then tells of his studies at Columbia and of the stumbling that finally led to an academic career in philosophy. It began with a job at Mortiner Adler's curious research institute in San Francisco and continued with a few years on the Columbia faculty. In 1959, he returned west to teach for nine years at San Francisco State. In 1968, he fled from there to a somewhat calmer Vassar, after S.F. State was overtaken by turmoil. After Vassar, Weingartner made a shift to academic administration. Here is an extensive account of what was involved in being successful as dean at Northwestern, followed by the story of the author's frustrating stint as provost of the University of Pittsburgh. Weingartner's private life gets virtually equal attention in this book. He talks about his parents, his brother, and about his two children. He tells the story of a marriage of forty-two years and of its sad end; he relates how he recovered, thanks to a second marriage. In addition to family members, a large cast of characters of friends, colleagues, and acquaintances make their appearance in this book. Among broader topics, the author takes up his relationship to his Jewish religion and gives an account of the many manifestations of his interest in music and art. Mostly About Me offers glimpses into the different worlds in which its author has played a role. But it also affords an insight into the person who has lived so varied a life and has here reflected on it.