UNDERSTANDING POWER: The Indispensable Chomsky
Noam Chomsky, Et, . . New Press, $19.95 (416pp) ISBN 978-1-56584-703-3
For the past several decades, Noam Chomsky has become more famous for his trenchant critiques of U.S. foreign policy than for his groundbreaking linguistic theories. In this collection of material from his lectures and teach-ins, public defenders Mitchell and Schoeffel put his challenging, controversial opinions on display. The discussions—a format that allows Chomsky to present his views in a conversational, accessible style—confirm his wide-ranging engagement with world affairs. Whether the topic is Cambodia (he all but holds the United States responsible for the mass deaths under the Khmer Rouge) or the Middle East (where he sees the peace process as analogous to South Africa's creation of apartheid), he consistently blasts the United States for what he sees as its guiding principle of maintaining its own power while claiming to fight for freedom and democracy. Chomsky, who has published more than 30 books but is best known for his contribution to
Reviewed on: 12/24/2001
Genre: Nonfiction