Chomsky for Beginners

I have been meaning to write a review for this book for a very long time... For me, this is the quintessential beginner's book on Chomsky... As both my husband and I are avid political activists, we have been occasionally frustrated, and quite often saddened, by the fact that so many people we meet have no idea who Noam Chomsky is... It is no good preaching to the choir, we are out there to give folk the opportunity to expand their political awareness, to entertain some new ideas, to think from a different perspective... Indeed, to even begin to 'think' at all... When we are met with, 'Noam Chomsky who? huh?', this is the book we recommend, and have given out over the years I don't know how many times; we just keep replacing it, *lol* Why is this book so invaluable? Because it is succinct, (153 pages), visually funny and, in a nutshell, entertaining from beginning to end... But do not mistake the 'fun' for 'fluff'... This book packs a most powerful punch in that it is essentially a primer for looking at the way one thinks, and how one goes about the process of beginning to think 'critically' instead of thinking 'emotionally'. Given the State of the Union these days, more and more people are questioning not only the trustworthiness of their leaders, but the very process of governing itself... They are asking, 'How did it come to this?'... Through this book, they can see how the 'messaging' takes place through the use and manipulation of the media and political spin... they can see how they've been, and are continuing to be, influenced... and once this revelation takes place, they are much more prone to relegating 'emotion' to its rightful place while simultaneously beginning the journey of 'critical thinking'... All of this takes place in this perfect little beginner's book... Giving someone just stepping into the fray of politics a book such as, 'The Essential Chomsky', (500 pages), will daunt them to the point of regressing back into their shell of complacency... Giving them, 'Chomsky for Beginners', will teach them, entertain them, and spur them on to finding out more... and when that happens, we then recommend the 'Real Story Series' with books such as, 'The Prosperous Few and the Restless Many', 'The Common Good', 'Take the Rich Off Welfare', or 'What Uncle Sam Really Wants'... all books that are also packed with a punch, but very succinct, (100-200 pages), and easy to understand... I cannot recommend highly enough, 'Chomsky for Beginners'... David Cogswell and Paul Gordon have gifted us with a brand of genius that teaches through the art of tweeking our funny-bone... Huzzah! for their brilliance, *vbs*

This is definitely an interesting bathroom book. Take Noam Chomsky, social irritant and world-renowned Linguistics expert, and tell his story in a documentary comic book. Add some background information about the science of Linguistics as well as plenty of info about the American Capitalist machine, and you got quite an interesting read that you can pick up and put down whenever you're up for a quick paragraph or two.Noam Chomsky isn't that well known. And that's because the powers that be want it that way. Chomsky's goal in life is to open the eyes and ears of the American public so that they'll take a better look around once in a while and see what's really going on. He takes on capitalism and the American government all the time. And because the American media machine is owned by some big corporations, don't expect to be hearing anything soon from the man, unless you crawl out from under the big money umbrella and dig around a bit.I think that most people will ignore him, not because they don't believe what he has to say, but because they are afraid of the truth. They like to go along making their money, spending it the same thinking that all is fine in the world and that good ol' USA will carry the burdens of freedom and Democracy as it's fights the evils of the world. But that's just not the way it is. The truth is a lot darker than that. Yes, America once stood for democracy and greatness. But it lost it's direction along the way when the dollar signs floated in front of it's eyes.

Chomsky for beginners is great for anyone that has picked up one of his books then tilted their head sideways in a confused state of not understanding. It breaks Chomskys work into two parts: The Linguistic Era; and the Politics and Media Era. Both are equally fascinating and well written. Profound in its clarity, this is surely a book that will make you appreciate Chomsky's thought, whether you agree with him or not. Chomsky always believed in freedom of thought, and a disgareement is just as valid and important as someone who agrees. Both should be heard. A good springboard to reading his works and not overwhelming in comparison to Chomsky's own writings (who is one of the most prolific writers today). I highly reccommend this book who wants to learn in a nutshell what Noam Chomsky is about.

Noam Chomsky is renowned for his work in both linguistics and sociogeopolitics (for want of a better term). Although Chomsky's own writings often deal with profound and difficult to master ideas, 'Chomsky for Begginers' offers a superb introduction to this leading intellectual. The book is light hearted and witty, but not patronizing, and the reader will at the very least come away with a critical view of world events and an admiration for Chomsky's breadth of knowledge. One of Chomsky's ideas, that most international conflicts can be shown to have at their root a major corporation using government to effect a country's stability for their own ends, had a profound impact on how I now view current events. One might not agree with what Chomsky has to say about the nature of linguistics, society, the media or world events; but, at the very least this book forces one to think about things with a far more critical, if not quite synical, eye.

If you have ever wondered why you hate watching news on tv or why it doesn't seem to matter who you vote for; you owe it yourself to read Noam Chomsky. No other writer of the 20th century quite captures the essence of the problems we so often ignore or run from in American society. Reading Chomsky is not comforting, but will give a clear platform to critically examine our government's policies. Wheter you're a white separatist, black muslim, communist or suburban housewife. The questions Chomsky presents are relevant to your existence.