Hegemony or Survival

America's Quest for Global Dominance

By: Noam Chomsky

Narrated by: Brian Jones, Noam Chomsky

Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

For more than half a century, the United States has been pursuing a grand imperial strategy with the aim of staking out the globe. Our leaders have shown themselves willing, as in the Cuban missile crisis, to follow the dream of dominance no matter how high the risks. Now the Bush administration is intensifying this process, driving us toward the final frontiers of imperial control, toward a choice between the prerogatives of power and a livable Earth. Noam Chomsky investigates how we came to this moment, what kind of peril we find ourselves in and why our rulers are willing to jeopardize the future of our species.

Lucid, rigorous and thoroughly documented, Hegemony or Survival is Chomsky's most urgent and sweeping work in years. Certain to spark widespread debate, it is a definitive statement from one of the world's most influential political thinkers.

©2003 Aviva Chomsky, Diane Chomsky, Harry Chomsky (P)2003 Audio Renaissance

Critic reviews

"Judged in terms of the power, range, novelty, and influence of his thought, Noam Chomsky is arguably the most important intellectual alive." (The New York Times)
"In this highly readable...critique of American foreign policy from the late 1950s to the present...Chomsky brings together many themes he has mined in the past, making this cogent and provocative book an important addition to an ongoing public discussion about U.S. policy." (Publishers Weekly)

Needs 2 listens

Everyone should listen to this book- twice. There is too much information to digest in one reading. Unfortunately, however, Chomsky often ends up preaching to the converted as his research shows a side of America that die hard 'patriots' label as 'anti-American.' Any open minded person however will likely find his research and ideas eye-opening. Some of his books are hard to understand for the first-time Chomsky reader but this one seems to have been written with especially those in mind.

Answers the question -

To anyone who has asked the question "Why do they hate us?", look no further than "Hegemony or Survival".

Most Americans will never know the crimes committed in their name.

Loved it

What made the experience of listening to Hegemony or Survival the most enjoyable?

Noam Chomsky at his best. An essential work for anyone who is interested in how things really work.

Very revealing.

I can't say that I enjoyed listening to this audio book - but this is more because of it's topic - the drive of US administrations etc. for hegemony - than because of the narrative. I was very often appalled by what I listened to.
It was very revealing to hear about the openly led discourse in the USA on how to rule the world and the reasons for doing so.
Albeit it just a very small issue in the overall context, it was intriguing to hear how the USA counter any efforts of other countries to prevent the militarisation of space.

Even if you back US politics and diplomatic efforts around the globe - which this reviewer does only seldomly -, you should read or listen to what Mr. Chomsky has to say. At least for the benefit of future generations on this planet.

Americas Guilty Conscience

Chomsky isn?t afraid to air the country?s dirty laundry. Listening to this work is like carefully examining your face in one of those lighted magnifying mirrors. Gradually, you begin to see all the flaws, pimples, and wrinkles that are easy to miss at first glance. Chomsky forces the listener to take an objective look at American foreign policy from a global perspective, and it isn't pretty.

Chomsky does it again!

This work is remarkable and I wish there were more Chomskys out there! He tells it like it is, without hesitation and in a convincing manner. His writing is extremely eloquent, and his statements are always concise. His writings on Nicaragua were eye-opening. The one problem I had with this audio book was the narrator. He speaks in a rush, and it's exhausting to listen to for a long period of time. I listened to it during my commute in little 'spurts'. Even though my iPod has the option to slow it down, the sound quality diminishes so I've tried to bare it with the original fast speed. His tone stays the same throughout and perhaps it's good for some listeners but it was hard for me to stay concentrated. I might buy the actual book and read it myself in my spare time.

A great book, poorly read

What this audiobook did for me was to convince me to buy and read the printed version of "Hegemony or Survival". As I was listening to the audiobook, I could tell that Noam Chomsky was attempting to provide me with information about, and perspectives on, the state of our nation and the world--information and perspectives that are unavailable elsewhere. At the same time, however, the reader seemed to be doing his best--by reading in a rapid monotone--to make Chomsky's information both boring and difficult to understand. Chomsky quotes from many sources, but I had difficulty identifying the boundaries between Chomsky's prose and the quoted material, because the reader plowed on through everything, main text and quoted material, without variation of tone or speed. I look forward to being able to make these distinctions when I read the printed book.

The Big Picture

Noam Chompsy presents an overview of the U.S. political agenda I suspected but couldn't formulate myself. He offers a multitude of facts reinforcing his theories. Listening, I felt progessively outraged at the abuse of power and manipulation to justify the means to an end. We think we live in a democratic society but it's an illusion. How can we vote wisely when we are continually fed lies and half truths?

My only criticism is not with the book, but the reading. It was so fast I had trouble absorbing all the information coming at me. This book I listened to a little at a time.

Topic and writing

Excellent, However the Narration is a bit to fast and saying the words and not really comprehending the material. This results in the occasional awkward cadence of speech making retention of material difficult

Eye Opener

Outstanding book. Should be mandatory reading. If 50% of his logic and conclusions are true, every citizen needs to reflect closely on our nationalism and its consequences for ourselves and others. Pro patria.