John Schoeffel

A prelude to 21st century politics, Noam Chomsky's Q&A conversations over the years with others encapsulates the changes seen in the second half of the 20th century in American world and domestic politics and policies. I have heard much about the man and heard his words narrated in an audiobook over 22 hours, some of which felt repetitious, though that is to be expected over multiple Q&As. Chomsky's skepticism is refreshingly humble, it being grounded in a focus on absolute truth, insofar as truth can be absolute/objective, a bonus. Particular highlights are the concept of neo-imperialism and media censorship/convenient omissions of facts to skew, which continue to this day. Where Chomsky wavers is an inability to commit or self-reflect, turning questions which ask for specifics or change of thought on their heads, cleverly avoiding answering them. He makes a valid point in not following any one person as means to an end, it is ideology and collective activism rather than one figurehead to follow blindly. Ironically, it appears people follow Chomsky's opinions as blindly. Understanding Power is about understanding context and reading critically for yourself, and in that, it succeeds in motivating me in asking the larger questions.… (mehr)

This was an eye-opener for me - a politically interested person, who used to believe in partisan/labelled politics - left over right, secularism over fundamentalism, and so on.

This book should be mandatory reading for every person even slightly interested in politics and activism - it will make you realize there is no such thing as left/right (both are equally morally bankrupt), 'news' (media coverage is extensively covered in the book), and fundamentalism.

It will be an absolute disservice to label the book as simply 'eye-opening'. It will be more accurate to say that you begin to see things in color, rather than simply black and white. And that is simply the gift that keeps on giving,… (mehr)

Understanding Power covers a wide range of Chomsky's knowledge and opinion. Full of illuminating discourse between groups of activists and Chomsky himself, each chapter follows a string of speaking events held from the mid-eighties through the late-nineties covering everything from the expected analysis of US foreign policy to Chomsky's own self-doubt throughout his years of activism.

Through historical reference and Chomsky's personal anecdotes, Understanding Power conveys the importance of the well-informed citizen as a cornerstone of any free society while emphasizing the necessity of international solidarity and cautioning that the knowledge of one means nothing without the knowledge of many.… (mehr)