in 2000, economist and former u.s. treasury secretary lawrence summers became president of harvard. in a private meeting with west, summers allegedly rebuked west for missing too many classes, contributing to grade inflation, neglecting serious scholarship, and spending too much time on his economically profitable projects. some people say that summers allegedly suggested that west produce an academic book (work that is typical of senior harvard professors). west had written several books, some of them widely cited, but his recent output consisted primarily of co-written and edited volumes. according to some reports, summers also objected to west's production of a cd, the critically panned "sketches of my culture", and to his political campaigning. according to west's book "democracy matters," summers wrongly accused him of canceling classes for three straight weeks during 2000 to promote bill bradley's presidential campaign. west contends that he had missed one class during his tenure at harvard "in order to give a keynote address at a harvard-sponsored conference on aids." summers also allegedly suggested that since west held the rank of harvard university professor and thus reported directly to the president, he should meet with summers regularly to discuss the progress of his academic production.