Requiem for the American Dream

The Principles of Concentrated Wealth and Power

By: Noam Chomsky

Narrated by: Donald Corren

Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Noam Chomsky is widely regarded as the most influential thinker of our time, but never before has he devoted a major book to one topic: income inequality.

"During the Great Depression, things were much worse than they are today, but there was an expectation that things were going to get better. There was a real sense of hopefulness. There isn't today.... Inequality is really unprecedented. In terms of total inequality, it's like the worst periods in American history. But if you refine it more closely, the inequality comes from the extreme wealth in a tiny sector of the population, a fraction of 1 percent.... Not only is it extremely unjust in itself, inequality has highly negative consequences on the society as a whole because the very fact of inequality has a corrosive, harmful effect on democracy."
(Noam Chomsky, in Requiem for the American Dream)

Requiem for the American Dream is not an essay collection but an entire work of some 70,000 words, based on four years of interviews with Chomsky by the editors. Chomsky considers these to be his final, long-form documentary interviews. It is a book that makes Chomsky's breadth and depth accessible and at the same time gives us his most powerful political ideas with unprecedented, breathtaking directness. It will go down as one of his greatest and most lasting contributions.

Requiem for the American Dream is being produced in tandem with the film of the same name that was recently released in selected theaters to rave reviews and standing ovations. It will be on Netflix and touring colleges prior to the book's release.

©2017 Valeria Chomsky (P)2017 Recorded Books

Book is great, Narrator is terrible

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Definitely. Very insightful analysis with support from historical references. But I would recommend that they read this book rather than listen to Donald Corren narrate.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

This book really doesn't have an "ending", just a scholarly analysis of various points.

How could the performance have been better?

By choosing anyone else as the narrator. Book itself & content is excellent. However, the narrator frequently substitutes words that change the meaning ("was" for "is", etc.). In fact there is such a substitution in the very first sentence of the forward note ("subjectively" for "objectively"). Clearly, no review was done of the Audible recording.

Did Requiem for the American Dream inspire you to do anything?

Read more books by Noam Chomsky, and never to listen another book narrated by Donald Corren.

Any additional comments?

Another narrator should be found, and the narration should be re-recorded using a new narrator. Noam Chomsky would be a good choice to narrate this book.

Important read

The fundamental knowledge for an American political revolution. Read more Chomsky to have a better understanding of the world u live in. Peace.

Great book and movie.

Watched movie on yt the other night and saw on here that they had a book that went into a little more detail. book adds sources and quotes chomsky cites in interview which was nice. Overall good compliment to the movie.
Movie was more entertaining, it was highly dramatized; Book is more like a typical chomsky interview, both were A+
This guy is excellent at explaining our current situation and the time we inhabit, would recommend both audiobook and movie to anyone.

Must read or listen

I had no idea about justice Powell find it interesting the Nixon administration gave us Justice Powell and started allowing business with China the act which in my opinion has done more to make us a society of wage slaves. Both political parties are on the side of the corporations who fund their campaigns who greatly benefit from low wages and uninformed voters and consumers making Irrational decisions

Excellent analysis of the present American reality

Book version of the documentary Requiem for the American Dream
Very well structured and well written.
Important references give support to the conclusions
Highly recommended for those interested In understanding the American today reality

A Perspective Worth Considering

In this day and age people can no longer say, "I didn't know". Enlighten yourself

Chomsky Excellent As Always

Always a learning experience reading Noam Chomsky.
I highly recommend this book if you like the truth.

Essential Chomsky

A great window into the mind of this era's one of the most celebrated intellectual.

Brutal truths - if you are able to face them.

I have been a fan of Chomsky for many years and have enjoyed several of his books. Requiem distills many of his classic points into a single volume, which is both easy to read and to understand, if occasionally difficult to face. His intensive research and ability to synthesize that information makes the book compelling and timely.

You know nothing John Snow

REQUIEM FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM is the definitive discourse with Noam Chomsky, on the defining characteristic of our time - the deliberate concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a select few. Through interviews filmed over four years, Chomsky unpacks the principles that have brought us to the crossroads of historically unprecedented inequality - tracing a half century of policies designed to favor the most wealthy at the expense of the majority - while also looking back on his own life of activism and political participation. Profoundly personal and thought provoking, Chomsky provides penetrating insight into what may well be the lasting legacy of our time - the death of the middle class, and swan song of functioning democracy. A potent reminder that power ultimately rests in the hands of the governed, REQUIEM is required viewing for all who maintain hope in a shared stake in the future.