How the World Works (Real Story (Soft Skull Press))

This is an essential book in understanding international relations, history of US intervention abroad and societal power structures. Well written, easy to follow. You need to have some historic background on some of the conflicts and issues discussed.

This is one of my favorite books and definitely have to read more than once to absorb is all.

For all sincere seekers of truth - this book describes exactly what the title reads. You will frequently be deeple disturbed by its content but profoundly enlightened at the same time. This is certainly one of my favorites from Chomsky, as it is wrotten clearly, concisely, and conversationally. Unlike much of his writing, this book is very easy to understand. It is an absolute "must read".

The book contains collections of interviews with Noam Chomsky. It is a good summary and I would strongly advise it to anyone interested in why the world is as it is and wants to lift the curtain of lies.

As expected, How the World Works is another master work from Noam Chomsky. It contains mostly excerpts from interviews and lectures, so it doesn't really follow any sort of narrative format and the flow is sometimes choppy, but this book contains several nuggets and a few gems of unbelievably insightful wisdom from the man who is, arguably, the greatest thinker of our lifetime. Definitely worth reading!

Every page of Chomsky's political works are so enlightening! I like political works, and Chomsky's are literary, scientific, researched-based, and true. Unfortunately some people can't handle the truth, but Chomsky presents it clearly and convincingly. I have only been into reading his works for a few years, and have regretted not discovering them earlier in my life. Anyone who is curious about why things are the way they are in our world and our lives today would value greatly the insights Noam has presented in his How The World Works.

You have to be willing to read through material without any citations, and given the extreme nature of Chomsky's pronouncements that isn't easy. Chomsky seems to have read everything (foreign newspapers especially) and the American Press (mostly to know what isn't there). Then tells you what material you have been missing. But this collection of separate books and interview material ultimately doesn't really satisfy. Even if you are a Chomsky fan and supporter.

The book is essentially various interviews and speeches by Chomsky transcribed into text. Therefore, insights are not detailed and there is a lot of repitition. As a Chomsky fan, I suggest one look at his other works, nothing here is new, just a dumbed down version of his views.

A friend suggested I read this. Noam's assertions are sensational enough and many are true I'm sure, but it gets tiresome. Especially since there are no references to back up his assertions... some of which are a trifle too tin-foil-hat.

If you like synical. This is for you.

Chomsky is a delightful genius who views the world from the viewpoint of a Biblical prophet, which he of course is. He is angry at every injustice and every unfairness and has views about every little thing, and spews his views with the energy of the kibitzer who can say whatever he wants because he doesn't have to take responsibility for the results of his actions.

Oddly, he brings to mind the Egyptian young revolutionaries of Tahrir Square, who recently met Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. When they were fulminating (a la Chomsky) at the injustice of it all, how their views are neglected, etc. etc. Secretary Clinton asked them why they don't form a party, get organized, and try to make their views into reality. They opened big eyes at her. Organize? A party? Make things into a reality? What do you mean? We don't do things. We are revolutionaries!

This is Chomsky. He doesn't do things-- except science. He is a dear old revolutionary, angrily denouncing the Evil Urge everywhere he sees it.

In this context, I would cite the Talmud, which relates how some ancient sages once caught the evil urge and imprisoned it. And by the evening (says the Talmud), not a single egg could be found to be given to a sick woman. Because the rooster (so goes the moral) jumps on the hen not for philanthropic reasons, but because of his evil urge, not caring a whit about the hen.

This function of Necessary Evil in the world-- which every decision maker must understand before he can function in life-- is something to which Chomsky the prophet is willfully blind and deaf.

One last point, then I'll stop:

When The Bell Curve was published-- proving that some human groups are dumber than other groups-- many left-wing zealots took great umbrage and organized a flaming refutation: Since the book's findings would be intolerably unjust if they were so, they must be wrong, no?

The zealots tried to co-opt Chomsky to join the refutation parade. He refused to be co-opted, saying only that doing statistics about people is something that, in his view, should be disallowed. But he refused to speak against the book, and against its conclusions.

Which proves to me that, in his heart of heart, Chomsky does know that his umbrage may not tally with reality, and yet he keeps venting it.

In other words, Chomsky's real fight, like that any Prophet, is not with evil people, but with the One Above who made them so, imperfectly and unevenly and unjustly.

And who are we to fault him for this?

But his science is excellence. In Chomsky's science you can't find even a smidgen of the blindness you can find aplenty in his political diatribes. And for this along I give this book three stars.

Long may he rant!

Noam, you're just a linguistics teacher without credentials to pretentiously pontificate about how the world outside linguistics works. Funny how Noam's "important" insights into the world aren't taken seriously by anyone other than his whacked out followers. Soft Skull Press? LOL Presumably, you didn't meet the standards of Oxford University Press?