The Essential Chomsky

The Essential Chomsky

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13  ·  rating details  ·  327 ratings  ·  21 reviews
In a single volume, the seminal writings of the world's leading philosopher, linguist, and critic, published to coincide with his eightieth birthday.
For the past forty years Noam Chomsky's writings on politics and language have established him as a preeminent public intellectual and as one of the most original and wide-ranging political and social critics of our time. Amo...more
Paperback, 515 pages
Published February 12th 2008 by New Press, The (first published March 1st 2000)
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Clif
Noam Chomsky is known for two things - his studies in linguistics and his stand on the workings of political power, specifically that of the United States in world affairs, but also in domestic affairs.

This book is a collection of his writings in both capacities over the years, starting in 1959 and ending in 2006.

Whatever the topic, he writes well. I was pleasantly surprised to find I could follow all but one of the articles on language. He proposes that humans have a mental organ for language....more
Sasha
I always have a high regard for his position on sensitive subject matters like religion and socio-political issues but when I started tackling on this upset man's published collection of thoughts although without fail, he hits the nail on the head on highlighting the malfunctions of the society and the material was very articulate and well-thought, there was a struggle in his engaged command of writing with the reader. I found it a bore of a read and the material was not approachable. I vehement...more
Dave
“The Essential Chomsky” is a collection of 25 pieces of writing from Noam Chomsky from the first piece, a critical review of “Verbal Behavior” by B. F. Skinner published in 1959 in the journal “Language” to Chomsky’s afterword from “Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy” from 2006. Chomsky is best known in two areas, one being his career as a linguist, and the other for his outspoken liberal views in which he holds the United States and the West to the same standard whic...more
Steve Gripp
I'm a liberal, so I felt compelled to read him, since I've watched docs on him, as well as speeches, and I know he represents the "high-end intellectual left." Indeed, he is brilliant, but I can see why some people call him a radical, if not being so hastily judgmental, an anarchist. Some of his earlier works were provocations to radical thinking, but his later stuff really set the tone for geopolitics, albeit recalcitrant in some aspects. I wonder how he lives, though, in a capitalist society,...more
Matty
Very interesting to read this immediately after The Pale King and its elevator conversation (section 19 perhaps?). Chomsky's vitriol at the government for our Vietnam involvement was almost surely appropriate, but did criticism like Chomsky's mark our society's abandonment of the greater good, as DFW's character suggests while trapped in the elevator? Did the disgust triggered by Vietnam lead us to concern ourselves only with the self? Was it the first step towards our behavioral takeover by cor...more
Aaron
“The Essential Noam Chomsky” is a 413-page powerhouse of a book, a gripping, consciousness-raising tour of the landscape of the mind of Chomsky, Institute Professor of linguistics at MIT, whose most publicly well-known works expose the hegemonic thrust of United States foreign and domestic policy and all its attendant infrastructure of propaganda and unchallenged assumptions constructed by government and corporate officials, media personnel and so-called experts in academia.
To read this book is...more
Zach Cohen
This is a collection of some of Chomsky's most influential essays and articles, covering a wide range of topics from the role of intellectuals in the US, US foreign policy, Israel/Palestine, Anarchism, social movements, and a sampling of his linguistics work. Chomsky is one of the most profound and insightful social critics of our time, and this is a decent overview of his work.
Spencer
For a noted linguist, the guy sure has some terrible sentences. But, to be fair, this is only true of his essays on language, which were probably written primarily for language scholars. The political essays are the some of the most amazing leftist critiques of US policy and big business ever committed to print.
Callie
If you haven't read this, you're missing out.
Fenyoaee
We need more "Noam Chomsky"s of the world!
John Wojewoda
An excellent understanding of the modern world.
Carl
At MRX, essays of Chomsky.
Michael
Essay selection and presentation could've been improved by organizing by subject matter.

As for content, Chomsky has interesting ideas that are worth articulating; but, he could of used more academic rigor and simpler phrasing. (The latter point improves as he gets older.) However, in most cases, his writings could have been distilled to half their wording.

All this aside, hooray for intellectual snobbery!
Dinochunks01
I was wondering who, besides the late William F. Buckley, Jr.,would be able to hold my attention in well thought, nuanced, yet decisive essays. Taking the cue from Bill Hick's line "I'm like Noam Chomsky with dick jokes". Being a fan of the late Bill Hicks, I had to see if my local small town library in little redneck, reactionary Mchenry had Noam Chomsky books. Slow going, but meaty and well cited.
Jess Tait
Am glad I read this as I feel I have developed real insight into world events that I didn't have before. It was hard at times, due to seething anger at US foreign policy with the turning of each page, but I'll definitely be reading more Chomsky.
Jonathan
At the very least, read "Imperial Grand Strategy" (excerpted here from Hegemony or Survival) if you haven't done so.
Duncan O'neill
Pretty much unreadable. I gave up. His style is so ... convoluted, huge dense sentences with sub-clauses all over the place. He may have interesting things to say, but he's not a very good or clear writer. Compare this stuff with Orwell.
Suze
it was a little dense for my pre-espresso morning tub reading. or maybe i was a little dense? after the espresso kicked in, though...
Kathy
Brilliant thinker. He has become famous for his radical politics and his groundbreaking work in linguistics.
Kyle Brennan
An excellent compilation of some of Chomsky's best pieces.
Brian
Jul 05, 2009 Brian added it
loved it at the time when I was young and stupid. what I learned was the Political Left hates America and wants us who love it, dead.
Alex
May 20, 2013 Alex marked it as to-read
Juju
May 20, 2013 Juju is currently reading it  ·  review of another edition
Iliana
May 19, 2013 Iliana marked it as to-read
Shelves: own
Ellen
May 17, 2013 Ellen marked it as to-read
Husik
May 16, 2013 Husik marked it as to-read
Denver Alderson
May 16, 2013 Denver Alderson marked it as to-read
Shelves: wish-list
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Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, political activist, author, and lecturer. He is an Institute Professor and professor emeritus of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Chomsky is credited with the creation of the theory of generative grammar, considered to be one of the most significant contributions to the field of linguistics made in the 20th century. H...more
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Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky 9-11

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“The only debatable issue, it seems to me, is whether it is more ridiculous to turn to experts in social theory for general well-confirmed propositions, or to the specialists in the great religions and philosophical systems for insights into fundamental human values.” 6 people liked it
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