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Understanding Power
- The Indispensable Chomsky
- Narrated by: Robin Bloodworth
- Length: 22 hrs and 12 mins
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Understanding Power
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Summary
A major new collection from "arguably the most important intellectual alive" (The New York Times). Noam Chomsky is universally accepted as one of the preeminent public intellectuals of the modern era. Over the past thirty years, broadly diverse audiences have gathered to attend his sold-out lectures. Now, in Understanding Power, Peter Mitchell and John Schoeffel have assembled the best of Chomsky's recent talks on the past, present, and future of the politics of power.
In a series of enlightening and wide-ranging discussions, all published here for the first time, Chomsky radically reinterprets the events of the past three decades, covering topics from foreign policy during Vietnam to the decline of welfare under the Clinton administration. And as he elucidates the connection between America's imperialistic foreign policy and the decline of domestic social services, Chomsky also discerns the necessary steps to take toward social change. With an eye to political activism and the media's role in popular struggle, as well as U.S. foreign and domestic policy, Understanding Power offers a sweeping critique of the world around us and is definitive Chomsky. Characterized by Chomsky's accessible and informative style, this is the ideal book for those new to his work as well as for those who have been listening for years.
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What listeners say about Understanding Power
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- WW
- 21-10-20
A MUST-READ / LISTEN
I'd heard of Chomsky but this is my first experience of his writing. In short, he's an absolute genius, He explains how the world works behind the scenes without the conspiracy theories. So many secrets revealed in this book, it's incredible!
A must-read for every citizen of the world.
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- Matthew
- 29-04-24
Great Book
I think this is essential reading, and despite some of the talks used being from the 90's, I found them to be relevant still to today's cultural climate.
All in all, I absolutely burnt through this book. Given the format, it was really easy to listen to, Even with the sometimes grim subject matters, which is a testament to the authors, and how good of a job they did with the material.
I've often found the narrator's for some of Chomsky's other works to be unbearable, but this one was great.
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- DJB
- 30-01-18
A brilliant introduction to Chomsky
The interviews are a little dates because they took place in the 1990s but many of the concepts and historical lessons are still relevant.
If you don't fancy buying many books by Noam Chomsky and want an idea of how he approaches global politics, economics and theories of how society and the media works, this is a great listen which will be something I will revisit.
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- Peter
- 12-11-20
A voice not quite in the wilderness
Although marginalized by the mainstream, it appears that professor Chomsky's warning was well understood by those against whom it was directed. Now 20 years later we see the groundwork being laid for a new “stab in the back ” legend by Democrats “November criminals”. Expect the fascist takeover in 10 to 15 years.
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- Amazon Customer
- 21-02-18
Very real, very now.
If you can set your politics to one side and listen you may learn something.
Very, very thought provoking.
Maybe the time for change is now.
Finally.
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- SH
- 15-02-18
Well worth the effort
A mountain of Chomsky, Chomsky, Chomsky to climb. But the view from the top is magnificent. Awe inspiring.
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- Sonkay Kamara
- 12-05-22
An eye opener
A surgical look into the west, about how they are the Good, the bad and the ugly. in global politics.
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- Rual Marva
- 20-01-24
a must
best summarised half of century with predictions to what is happening today.
every word.
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- Andres
- 26-02-17
Uncomfortably true
A long read for sure. Only for seekers of what they cannot easily find. Well researched by an expert.
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4 people found this helpful
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- phil chadwick
- 02-06-22
Interesting thoughts, definitely worth a read
Glad I read this, despite disagreeing with at least some of the content.
On the book itself - it is well organised. Chomsky’s thoughts are presented in an order that allows them to flow. Reading of the story was good, nothing exceptional.
On the content - agree with the criticism of American foreign policy, some of the economic policy thoughts are misguided I believe. The media model was vague at best, and unscientific in its methods. Still useful nuggets in parts though, even if I disagreed with the whole.
I really hated the way Noam demonstrates the classic American self-importance, which can make the rest of the thoughts hard to take seriously. Whenever you refer to another country as “basically an American vassal state”, you are being very dismissive of their culture and values - and it demonstrates that you are not truly capable of understanding the world. China doesn’t just “have to do what the US says”, not now and probably not back then either.
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1 person found this helpful