Rating: 
Summary: Seminal Introduction to Chomsky's Major Viewpoints
Review: "The Chomsky Reader" kicks off with an excellently composed essay by the books editor, Peck. Excellent as this initial taste is, it gives but a slight indication of what is to come. For this collection of essays by Chomsky gives a unique insight into the viewpoints and observations of one of this century's greatest political thinkers. Is this book 'enjoyable' fellow students have asked me? Perhaps this, in fact, is not the right question. After all, how enjoyable can it be reading essays (backed up by exhaustive evidence) dealing with topics such as tens of thousands of innocents slaughtered in not so far off lands while our 'free press' turns the other way, unwilling to impart meaningful information to their audience? But this book is more than a Chomskyian socio-political critique; avid readers (even with no prior germane knowledge) should enjoy the essays examing language and human nature, (don't forget Chomsky is a Professor of Linguistics and Philosophy). One word of warning, this book can not be leafed through or merely perused; it must be read. Intellectuals, states Chomsky, have a responsibility to tell the truth. Think about that.
Rating:
Summary: Seminal Introduction to Chomsky's Major Viewpoints
Review: "The Chomsky Reader" kicks off with an excellently composed essay by the books editor, Peck. Excellent as this initial taste is, it gives but a slight indication of what is to come. For this collection of essays by Chomsky gives a unique insight into the viewpoints and observations of one of this century's greatest political thinkers. Is this book 'enjoyable' fellow students have asked me? Perhaps this, in fact, is not the right question. After all, how enjoyable can it be reading essays (backed up by exhaustive evidence) dealing with topics such as tens of thousands of innocents slaughtered in not so far off lands while our 'free press' turns the other way, unwilling to impart meaningful information to their audience? But this book is more than a Chomskyian socio-political critique; avid readers (even with no prior germane knowledge) should enjoy the essays examing language and human nature, (don't forget Chomsky is a Professor of Linguistics and Philosophy). One word of warning, this book can not be leafed through or merely perused; it must be read. Intellectuals, states Chomsky, have a responsibility to tell the truth. Think about that.
Rating: 
Summary: Indispensible
Review: An indispensible anthology of readings from America's foremost foreign policy critic. James Peck, the book's editor, presents an excellent introduction, outlining core themes that unite the wide-ranging material making up the text. There is much that is familiar to long time Chomsky readers, but much that is also less familiar, such as personal background facts that may help explain the MIT professor's remarkably creative and heretical career. Included also among the miscellainea, are a section on Chomsky's work in linguistics, a critique of B.F. Skinner's behavioral approach, and a defense of freedom and equality, a compatibility often derided in more conservative circles. Of course, there are the more familiar researches on Latin America, Southeast Asia, and other frontier hotspots that define the American imperium. Unfortunately missing because of publishing date are researches on Washington's more recent adventures in Panama, Iraq, and Yugoslavia. Though the tune may change, the music remains the same.At bottom - and what renders the MIT professor a non-person to state and media alike - is his view of Washington not as vaunted leader of the free world, but as a self-serving imperial power, neither better nor worse than its predecessors, but with greatly expanded reach and killing power. To put the point briefly, behind sterling academic and intellectual credentials, he mounts a leftish, but non-Marxist, expose' of Washington's most cherished foreign policy pieties. Just as effectively, he is careful not to put forth a central thesis, theory or organizing idea, that might otherwise distract from the damning indictment his case studies provide of global interventionism. Shrewdly, he lets the unexpurgated record speak for itself without distraction of more abstract issues, a move that allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions as to ultimate causes of this imperial behavior. Challenging the official record is, of course, no easy task. If America behaves like a typical great power, it also filters its self-perception as a great power must. Which is to say, that like other empire builders of the modern era, Washington must disguise its imperial actions in moralistic terms to make them palatable to publics and elites alike. Hence, self-deception operates, and must operate, on a grand scale, as witnessed in recent interventions in Kosovo, Kuwait, Nicaragua, and a host of other Pentagon undertakings all retailed to the ideologically conditioned American public as humanitarian rescues. Should this ideological prism fail, as in Vietnam, Chomsky harbors no optimistic expectations as to how the public might react. A disillusioned American public might continue pragmatic support of the imperial regime or it might not. What is interesting is that the regime acts as though it can't take the risk, hence the rigid ideological controls that continue to manage popular perceptions of interventionism regardless of the facts. The latter of course makes up Chomsky's nodal point of debunking attack. The book can only be considered anti-American by those who believe that it is the actions of Washington and Wall Street that define our collective soul.
Rating: 
Summary: Chomsky reruns
Review: Boldly rehashing his same old provably wrong and elitist theories, Chomsky tries to cash in on his name from the lingusitics world. As a political analyst, his views are elitist, undemocratic, anti-religious. Send this book back to Russia.
Rating:
Summary: Indispensible
Review: Chomsky never asks you to take his word for it. He challenges existing beliefs and paradigms and refutes them, providing evidence of his assertions. You, as the reader, are invited to read what he writes, agree or disagree. Chomsky invites readers to question what information they are given and exercise simple reason and skepticism in evaluating that information. The introduction to this collection of essays (and informative interview) is excellent. It provides a basic overview of Chomsky's philosophy (if you could call it that.) I felt that this book was basic reading, particularly for those who are new to Chomsky's works. In the introduction Peck writes that freedom and the process of indoctrination go hand in hand... and in America freedoms exist "within an ideological consensus that limits debate and protects powerful interests in ways all too similar to those in which obviously repressive societies operate." The entire book (and Chomsky's many other works) provide evidence of these statements. Chomsky is meticulous in combing for details and wants readers to release themselves from the mindlessness of taking information (or veracity of readily available information) for granted. Conventional media are seemingly free from having a burden of proof and need not provide any evidence to support their claims. This is not only the fault of media outlets. The media do what they can get away with. Discriminating, thoughtful readers seeking information should not accept that. One of the most apt analogies Chomsky makes in the interview is that professional sports, as an example, are one means for deflecting attention from real and important issues. The layperson can argue and analyse football to death and feel comfortable making his/her own analysis of athletics. However, these same people see world affairs and politics as out of the realm of their experience and expertise and do not even attempt to learn about it. Naturally something is to be said for the fact that many Americans so not have interest in these affairs and are more interested in sports... but it is a cyclical and indoctrinated response. From a young age, Americans are indoctrinated to focus on what their favourite team is doing as opposed to what is happening in another part of the world. An interesting thought to ponder (at least for me), though, is that in reading the older essays, Chomsky discussed the lack of access to unbiased information. I wonder if this has changed or even been revolutionised by access to electronic publications and communication and technology in general? Or is this just wishful thinking?
Rating:
Summary: Exercise skepticism
Review: Chomsky never asks you to take his word for it. He challenges existing beliefs and paradigms and refutes them, providing evidence of his assertions. You, as the reader, are invited to read what he writes, agree or disagree. Chomsky invites readers to question what information they are given and exercise simple reason and skepticism in evaluating that information. The introduction to this collection of essays (and informative interview) is excellent. It provides a basic overview of Chomsky's philosophy (if you could call it that.) I felt that this book was basic reading, particularly for those who are new to Chomsky's works. In the introduction Peck writes that freedom and the process of indoctrination go hand in hand... and in America freedoms exist "within an ideological consensus that limits debate and protects powerful interests in ways all too similar to those in which obviously repressive societies operate." The entire book (and Chomsky's many other works) provide evidence of these statements. Chomsky is meticulous in combing for details and wants readers to release themselves from the mindlessness of taking information (or veracity of readily available information) for granted. Conventional media are seemingly free from having a burden of proof and need not provide any evidence to support their claims. This is not only the fault of media outlets. The media do what they can get away with. Discriminating, thoughtful readers seeking information should not accept that. One of the most apt analogies Chomsky makes in the interview is that professional sports, as an example, are one means for deflecting attention from real and important issues. The layperson can argue and analyse football to death and feel comfortable making his/her own analysis of athletics. However, these same people see world affairs and politics as out of the realm of their experience and expertise and do not even attempt to learn about it. Naturally something is to be said for the fact that many Americans so not have interest in these affairs and are more interested in sports... but it is a cyclical and indoctrinated response. From a young age, Americans are indoctrinated to focus on what their favourite team is doing as opposed to what is happening in another part of the world. An interesting thought to ponder (at least for me), though, is that in reading the older essays, Chomsky discussed the lack of access to unbiased information. I wonder if this has changed or even been revolutionised by access to electronic publications and communication and technology in general? Or is this just wishful thinking?
Rating:
Summary: Truth, Language and Understanding: A Workout
Review: Dear Colleagues, Noam Chomsky understands the power of language, the nature of language, how language can be used and how language is frequently abused by those who would seek to lead us, influence us, beguile us, repress us or simply rip-us off for as long as possible. Noam Chomsky makes people think, he poises some of the difficult questions, and will maybe have you struggling to justify some of your best and long held beliefs in people and society. In this way, this book is both a gentle introduction and a great mental workout, if nothing else, and it can be much more. Starting with this book by Chomsky if you haven't read any of his stuff before is like deciding on a diet and workout plan that is neither drastic or radical, but eases the reader into the Chomsky ways of seeing things, of gathering facts, of interpreting language and of developing ideas and analysis. Chomsky is nearly always delivering arguments that are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive, which leads for well focussed and sometimes overly-knowledge rich text, but it's well worth the effort - in my book Chomsky is one of the greatest thinkers of the last 100 years - even if you, like me, will disagree with at least 50 percent of Chomsky's conclusions. Regards, Martyn_jones@iniciativas.com
Rating:
Summary: Truth, Language and Understanding: A Workout
Review: Dear Colleagues, Noam Chomsky understands the power of language, the nature of language, how language can be used and how language is frequently abused by those who would seek to lead us, influence us, beguile us, repress us or simply rip-us off for as long as possible. Noam Chomsky makes people think, he poises some of the difficult questions, and will maybe have you struggling to justify some of your best and long held beliefs in people and society. In this way, this book is both a gentle introduction and a great mental workout, if nothing else, and it can be much more. Starting with this book by Chomsky if you haven't read any of his stuff before is like deciding on a diet and workout plan that is neither drastic or radical, but eases the reader into the Chomsky ways of seeing things, of gathering facts, of interpreting language and of developing ideas and analysis. Chomsky is nearly always delivering arguments that are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive, which leads for well focussed and sometimes overly-knowledge rich text, but it's well worth the effort - in my book Chomsky is one of the greatest thinkers of the last 100 years - even if you, like me, will disagree with at least 50 percent of Chomsky's conclusions. Regards, Martyn_jones@iniciativas.com
Rating:
Summary: required reading for all Americans
Review: I was completely disappointed by the first two reader reviews listed under the entry for this book. How can one submit a book review when one pigheadedly refuses to even read the book? Spoiled white male indeed. The low-wattage accounts given by these "reviewers" only proves the old addage that ignorance surely is bliss. (Of course, these reviews also serve to show real reason for actually reading the works of Chomsky.)
Rating:
Summary: Anti-American leftirst
Review: Mr. Chomsky, a widely famous leftist, is also known as a supporter of global Arab fascism and anti-Semitism. All his books on Middle East are based on his profound ignorance of the Middle East history, twisting the facts, and hate of the state of Israel, our only true ally in the region. Instead of this book, I highly recommend "The Anti-Chomsky Reader" edited by Peter Collier and David Horowitz.
|
