Understanding Power
Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky, published in 2002, is a collection of previously unpublished transcripts of seminars, talks, and question-and-answer sessions conducted by Noam Chomsky from 1989 to 1999. The transcripts were compiled and edited by Peter R. Mitchell and John Schoeffel. Mitchell and Schoeffel are public defenders in New York.
 | |
| Author | Noam Chomsky |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Power (social and political); hegemony |
| Published | February 1, 2002[1] |
| Publisher | The New Press |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 416 |
| ISBN | 978-1-56584-703-3 |
| OCLC | 46936001 |
| LC Class | P85.C47 U5 2002 |
Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky, published in 2002, is a collection of previously unpublished transcripts of seminars, talks, and question-and-answer sessions conducted by Noam Chomsky from 1989 to 1999.[2][3]
The transcripts were compiled and edited by Peter R. Mitchell and John Schoeffel. Mitchell and Schoeffel are public defenders in New York.[4][5]
Content
[edit]The book's ten chapters draw on discussions at various speaking engagements in the United States and Canada.
- "Weekend Teach-In: Opening Session" (Rowe, Massachusetts, 15–16 April 1989)
- "Teach-In: Over Coffee" (Rowe, Massachusetts, 15–16 April 1989)
- "Teach-In: Evening" (Rowe, Massachusetts, 15–16 April 1989)
- "Colloquy" (Fort Collins, Colorado, 10 April 1990)
- "Ruling the World" (New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Colorado, Illinois, and Ontario in 1990 and 1993–96)
- "Community Activists" (British Columbia, Massachusetts, Illinois, Maryland, and Wyoming in 1989 and 1993–96)
- "Intellectuals and Social Change" (Woods Hole and Rowe, Massachusetts in 1989 and 1993–94)
- "Popular Struggle" (Massachusetts, Maryland, Ontario, California, and Wyoming in 1989 and 1993–96)
- "Movement Organizing" (Woods Hole, Massachusetts in 1993 and 1996)
- "Turning Point" (Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, and Maryland in 1994–96 and 1999)
Reception
[edit]Yannick Vanderborght, writing in the Review of Radical Political Economics, called Understanding Power "a stimulating read", and praised Chomsky's extensive factual knowledge. He said that Chomsky demonstrates "how [what is seen as] 'common sense' can be transcended through the careful exploration of neglected sources, the detailed examination of unrevealed facts, or the informed comparison of forgotten events", but criticized as anti-intellectual Chomsky's assertions that political problems are in reality simple, and warned that "the oral style may arouse suspicions that radicalism necessarily implies unsubtle and unbalanced arguments".[6]
Publishers Weekly said that the book provides "a useful and wide-ranging introduction to [Chomsky's] analysis of power and media", and said: "The discussions – a format that allows Chomsky to present his views in a conversational, accessible style – confirm his wide-ranging engagement with world affairs."[7]
Current Affairs editor Nathan J. Robinson described the book as "rich with insight" and "the best available introduction" to Chomsky's thinking, and named it first among the books that had influenced his own politics.[8]
See also
[edit]- Deterring Democracy (1991)
- Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (1988)
- Noam Chomsky bibliography
- Noam Chomsky's political views
References
[edit]- ^ Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky. ISBN 978-1-56584-703-3. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ Mitchell, Peter R.; Schoeffel, John (2002). "Editors' Preface". Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky. New York: The New Press. ISBN 9781921753923. OCLC 809771036.
- ^ Tucker, Robyn (October 2002). "Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky". API Review of Books. The Australian Public Intellectual Network. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
- ^ "Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
- ^ "Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky". The New Press. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
- ^ Vanderborght, Yannick (2005-09-01). "Book Review: Understanding Power: The Indispensable Chomsky". Review of Radical Political Economics. 37 (3): 425–428. doi:10.1177/0486613405279143. ISSN 0486-6134.
- ^ "Understanding power: The Indispensable Chomsky". Publishers Weekly. February 2002. Retrieved 2025-08-02.
- ^ Robinson, Nathan J. (2018-07-11). "Literature of the Left". Current Affairs. ISSN 2471-2647. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
External links
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