💭 Noam Chomsky

Why

I read Chomsky through this article by Aaron Swartz on the book that changed his life. So I did what Aaron did, and picked up Understanding Power. Everything about that book is as crushingly world-changing as he describes.

Considering his subject material and how challenging it must be to communicate his world-view to others, he does a phenomenal job of it. He never raises his voice, resorts to ad-hominems, or loses his calm.

Chomsky has lived a long and productive life as a linguist, historian, and activist. If you're the type who underlines important bits in a book, chances are you'll end up underlining almost every line in his books. Among the ones I've read, I recommend the following:

  • Understanding Power
  • The Essential Chomsky

References