The Chomsky Reader

A lot of people are scared of Chomsky, and fear breeds irrational responses. If you take the time to read his work (and it will take time and concentration), you will find out why he is generally counted one of the few true great minds of our time.

This volume is a good place to start, but check all your assumptions -- and all the history you learned in school -- at the door.

From the 1960s to the present, linguist Chomsky has been a prominent critic of American foreign policy, influential in radical and scholarly circles. This collection offers a broad sampling of Chomsky's best writing on the subject. The essays are typical Chomsky: long, analytical, probing, and controversial. Some have appeared in earlier collections; others are expanded transcripts of recent lectures. The most familiar are concerned with U.S. policy in Vietnam, Central America, and the Middle East. Editor Peck gives us an overview of Chomsky's writings in his useful introduction, though he tends to be extravagant in his praise. Even more useful is a long interview with Chomsky himself.

The chapter called "The manufacture of Consent" is a must read, as far as I am concerned...It gives an insight that arms the individual to "read between the lines" and that is invaluable.

Chomsky is a brilliant synthesist., and probably one of the smartest people on the planet.

Something I dip into when I'm feeling contrary.

Passing on notes .Less faith in US