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The Essential Chomsky
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 22 hrs and 25 mins
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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.
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What listeners say about The Essential Chomsky
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Thomas Dargan
- 05-02-16
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.
30 people found this helpful
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- Niny Pagan
- 02-25-17
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.
7 people found this helpful
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- Daniel
- 01-02-17
Noam is a true visionary humanitarian.
Loved it, was very eye opening as always. Plenty simple Noam genius chronicled! At least worth one read!
4 people found this helpful
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- AA
- 03-12-18
Great Read, Difficult Listen
Excellent set of essays. They feel more appropriate to read that to be listened to.
3 people found this helpful
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- Customer 503
- 06-13-17
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.
7 people found this helpful
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- yeet yeeters
- 05-12-21
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.
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- C. J. Vazquez
- 06-15-20
Book repeats passages
Not sure why, but entire sections of the book are duplicated. Might be a compilation error.
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- J. C. de Vrieze
- 02-17-18
As insightful as cynical.
A must read for anyone who wants to understand what US foreign policy is about.
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- Daniel Kaschel
- 11-19-15
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.
11 people found this helpful
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- Honest Dude
- 07-12-18
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.
14 people found this helpful
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- Monsegu
- 12-01-20
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.
6 people found this helpful
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- Sab London
- 02-10-16
Illuminating and exceptional
Great collection of Chomsky works! You can't go wrong with this if you want to understand how this world works.
38 people found this helpful
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- tuomas
- 10-03-21
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.
1 person found this helpful
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- Max
- 08-02-20
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.
1 person found this helpful
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- Brian Maunder
- 04-03-20
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..
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- Anonymous User
- 03-21-22
Excellent expose of USA imperialism
Stuff you don't get in regular media a true revelation of USA foreign policy and intelligent analysis of linguistics. Great man great ideas.