The Essential Chomsky

By: Noam Chomsky, Anthony Arnove - editor

Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell

Length: 22 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

In a single volume, the seminal writings of the world's leading philosopher, linguist, and critic, published to coincide with his 80th birthday.

For the past 40 years Noam Chomsky's writings on politics and language have established him as a preeminent public intellectual and as one of the most original and wide-ranging political and social critics of our time. Among the seminal figures in linguistic theory over the past century, since the 1960s Chomsky has also secured a place as perhaps the leading dissident voice in the United States.

Chomsky's many best-selling works - including Manufacturing Consent, Hegemony or Survival, Understanding Power, and Failed States - have served as essential touchstones for dissidents, activists, scholars, and concerned citizens on subjects ranging from the media to human rights to intellectual freedom. In particular, Chomsky's scathing critiques of the U.S. wars in Vietnam, Central America, and the Middle East have furnished a widely accepted intellectual inspiration for antiwar movements over nearly four decades.

The Essential Chomsky assembles the core of his most important writings, including excerpts from his most influential texts over the past 40 years. Here is an unprecedented, comprehensive overview of Chomsky's thought.

©2008 Anthony Arnove (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Hard to listen to after the first hour

Where does The Essential Chomsky rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

High

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Essential Chomsky?

Demolishing BF Skinner

Would you be willing to try another one of Kevin Stillwell’s performances?

The reader goes off the rails. He gets sick, or bored, or tired, or something, and his tone and inflection stop matching the words and the ideas. The producer should have caught this. The reading perfomance is distracting, and makes it very difficult to follow Chomsky, who is a very dense and demanding writer.

Better as book

this book is really a collection of two books one on linguistics (too dense for audio) and one on politics. The latter shows the range of Choamsk's writings from Vietnam to now.

Noam is a true visionary humanitarian.

Loved it, was very eye opening as always. Plenty simple Noam genius chronicled! At least worth one read!

Great Read, Difficult Listen

Excellent set of essays. They feel more appropriate to read that to be listened to.

unfortunate narration

Would you consider the audio edition of The Essential Chomsky to be better than the print version?

constantly distracted by the theatrically pretentious reading. akin to a subtle Snidely Whiplash reading of Noam Chomsky.

Berry gutt

Very eye opening indeed, a total recommend for those who may wish to give the other side a fair shot as it were.

Book repeats passages

Not sure why, but entire sections of the book are duplicated. Might be a compilation error.

As insightful as cynical.

A must read for anyone who wants to understand what US foreign policy is about.

Ended my enamoration with Chomsky

While I love some of his ideas, this showed how petty and self-involved Chomsky is, often resulting in the subtle intellectual dishonesty of failing to hold his own statements to the same level of scrutiny that he so readily applies to everyone else.

Some of the Essays are very interesting

This work is collection of essays covering various areas of activism, philosophy and linguistics.

I found the essays on linguistics to be very heavy and difficult to follow, However anyone with a grounding in linguistics will probably be able to appreciate these essays.

His essays on various conflicts and current affairs are interesting.

I didn't understand the way this book has been com

I am a big fan of Chomsky, however, I didn't understand the way this book has been compiled. It mixes linguistics, phylosophy, linguistics, power, news media and again. The topics are so varied that, unless, you are a Chomsky's Scholar, you might find this book very difficult to concentrate on.

Interesting parts:
- Chapter 13, US-Israel special relationship. Sparta of the Middle East. Views; Israel is a Mercenary state. It gives USA the capacity to strike instantly, instead of having to plan for months in advance or wait for Congress to approve“
- Last two chapter, second war in Irak and the future relationship with other nations. Focus on Asia and Europe.

Illuminating and exceptional

Great collection of Chomsky works! You can't go wrong with this if you want to understand how this world works.

a window to the thinking of an intellectual giant.

a bit of a mixed bag content wise, but i guess it's good to get a glimpse of chomsky's contribution to linguistics & establish his credentials as a first rate mind before diving deep into political commentary.

What a banger!

Incredibly insightful in many aspects of intellectualism as always. From theory of mind to understanding US foreign policy, you'll learn from one of the smartest people to have ever walked this planet.

Could not listen anymore.

Way too complicated, had to stop listening and delete. Difficult to get into. Relieved it is over for me and not required to listen to anymore..