Books by Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is widely known and deeply admired for being the founder of modern linguistics, one of the founders of the field of cognitive science, and perhaps the most avidly read political theorist and commentator of our time. In these lectures, he presents a lifetime of philosophical reflection on all three of these areas of research to which he has contributed for over half a century.In clear, precise, and non-technical language, Chomsky elaborates on fifty years of scientific development in the study of language, sketching how his own work has implications for the origins of language, the close relations that language bears to thought, and its eventual biological basis. He expounds and criticizes many alternative theories, such as those that emphasize the social, the communicative, and the referential aspects of language. Chomsky reviews how new discoveries about language overcome what seemed to be highly problematic assumptions in the past. He also investigates the apparent scope and limits of human cognitive capacities and what the human mind can seriously investigate, in the light of history of science and philosophical reflection and current understanding. Moving from language and mind to society and politics, he concludes with a searching exploration and philosophical defense of a position he describes as "e;libertarian socialism,"e; tracing its links to anarchism and the ideas of John Dewey, and even briefly to the ideas of Marx and Mill, demonstrating its conceptual growth out of our historical past and urgent relation to matters of the present.

A collection of activist essays on peace and war.

Because We Say So is Noam Chomsky's essential counter punch to American hegemony.In 1962, the eminent statesman Dean Acheson enunciated a principle that has dominated global politics ever since: that no legal issue arises when the United States responds to a challenge to its 'power, position, and prestige'. In short, whatever the world may think, U.S. actions are legitimate because they say so. Spanning the impact of Edward Snowden's whistleblowing and Palestinian-Israeli relations to deeper reflections on political philosophy and the importance of a commons to democracy, Because We Say So takes American imperialism head on.'Noam Chomsky is one of a small band of individuals fighting a whole industry. And that makes him not only brilliant, but heroic' Arundhati Roy'The world's greatest public intellectual' Observer

In this collection of essays from 1969-2013, many in book form for the first time, Noam Chomsky exposes the real nature of state power. With unrelenting logic, he holds the arguments of empire up to critical examination and shatters the myths of those who protect the power and privilege of the few against the interests and needs to the many.Covering subjects like 'Human Intelligence and the Environment', 'Terror, Justice and Self-Defence' and 'The Welfare-Warfare state', this is an indispensable compilation of searing insights into the state of our modern world.'Arguably the most important intellectual alive' New York Times on Noam Chomsky'Noam Chomsky is a global phenomenon . . . he may be the most widely read American voice on the planet today' NYT Book Review'Will there ever again be a public intellectual who commands the attention of so many across the planet?' New Statesman'The west's most prominent critic of US imperialism . . . the closest thing in the English-speaking world to an intellectual superstar' Guardian

Power Systems is a searing collection of new insights from the mind of Noam Chomsky, the world's most prolific public intellectual and author of the best-selling Failed States, Hopes and Prospects and Occupy. In this new collection of conversations, conducted from 2010 to 2012, Noam Chomsky explores the most immediate and urgent concerns: the future of democracy in the Arab world, the implications of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the 'class war' fought by U.S. business interests against working people and the poor, the breakdown of mainstream political institutions and the rise of the far right.The latest volume from a long-established, trusted partnership, this collection shows once again that no interlocutor engages with Chomsky more effectively than David Barsamian. These interviews will inspire a new generation of readers, as well as longtime Chomsky fans eager for his latest thinking on the many crises we now confront, both at home and abroad. They confirm that Chomsky is an unparalleled resource for anyone seeking to understand our world today.Praise for Noam Chomsky:'One of the finest minds of the twentieth century' New Yorker'Noam Chomsky is a global phenomenon . . . he may be the most widely read American voice on foreign policy on the planet today' New York Times Book Review'Will there ever again be a public intellectual who commands the attention of so many across the planet?' New Statesman'The west's most prominent critic of US imperialism . . . the closest thing in the English-speaking world to an intellectual superstar' GuardianNoam Chomsky is the author of numerous bestselling political books, including Hegemony or Survival, Failed States, Interventions, What We Say Goes, Hopes and Prospects and, most recently, Occupy, all of which are published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin. He is a professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT, and is widely credited with having revolutionized modern linguistics.David Barsamian is the award-winning founder and director of Alternative Radio. He has authored several books of interviews with leading political thinkers. www.alternativeradio.org

In Making the Future, Noam Chomsky takes on a wide range of hot-button issues including the ongoing financial crisis, Obama's presidency, the limits of the two-party system, nuclear Iran, Afghanistan, Israel-Palestine, corporate power, and the future of American politics. Laced throughout his critiques are expressions of commitment to democracy and the power of popular struggles. 'Progressive legislation and social welfare,' writes Chomsky, 'have been won by popular struggles, not gifts from above. Those struggles follow a cycle of success and setback. They must be waged every day, not just once every four years, always with the goal of creating a genuinely responsive democratic society, from the voting booth to the workplace.'Making the Future offers fierce, accessible, timely, gloves-off political writing by one of the world's foremost intellectual and political dissidents.

Occupy gives Noam Chomsky's thoughts on a movement which swept the world 'Occupy is the first major public response to thirty years of class war.'Since its appearance in Zuccotti Park, New York, in September 2011, the Occupy movement has spread to hundreds of towns and cities across the world. No longer occupying small tent camps, the movement now occupies the global conscience as its messages spread from street protests to op-ed pages to the highest seats of power. From the movement's onset, Noam Chomsky has supported its critique of corporate corruption and encouraged its efforts to increase civic participation, economic equality, democracy and freedom. Through talks and conversations with movement supporters, Occupy presents Chomsky's latest thinking on the central issues, questions and demands that are driving ordinary people to protest. How did we get to this point? How are the wealthiest 1% influencing the lives of the other 99%? How can we separate money from politics? What would a genuinely democratic election look like? How can we redefine basic concepts like 'growth' to increase equality and quality of life for all? Occupy is another vital contribution from Chomsky to the literature of defiance and protest, and a red-hot rallying call to forge a better, more egalitarian future.Noam Chomsky is the author of numerous bestselling political books, including Hegemony or Survival, Failed States, Interventions, Perilous Power, What We Say Goes, Imperial Ambitions, Making the Future, How the World Works, and Hopes and Prospects all of which are published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin. He is a professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT, and is widely credited with having revolutionized modern linguistics. Chomsky has supported the initiatives of the Occupy movement from its first weeks. He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.

In 9-11, published in November 2001 and arguably the single most influential post 9-11 book, internationally renowned thinker Noam Chomsky bridged the information gap around the World Trade Center attacks, cutting through the tangle of political opportunism, expedient patriotism, and general conformity that choked off American discourse in the months immediately following. Chomsky placed the attacks in context, marshaling his deep and nuanced knowledge of American foreign policy to trace the history of American political aggression--in the Middle East and throughout Latin America as well as in Indonesia, in Afghanistan, in India and Pakistan--at the same time warning against America's increasing reliance on military rhetoric and violence in its response to the attacks, and making the critical point that the mainstream media and public intellectuals were failing to make: any escalation of violence as a response to violence will inevitably lead to further, and bloodier, attacks on innocents in America and around the world. This new edition of 9-11, published on the tenth anniversary of the attacks and featuring a new preface by Chomsky, reminds us that today, just as much as ten years ago, information and clarity remain our most valuable tools in the struggle to prevent future violence against the innocent, both at home and abroad.

Hopes and Prospects is Noam Chomsky's indispensable analysis of the world at present and a roadmap for the futureIn Hopes and Prospects, Noam Chomsky examines the challenges of our early twenty-first century. He explores obstacles and threats such as the widening gap between North and South America, US exceptionalism (which continues under Obama), the fiascos of Iraq and Afghanistan, the US-Israeli assault on Gaza and the recent financial bailouts. He sees hope for the future and opportunities to move forward, however - in the democratic wave in Latin America and in the global solidarity movements which suggest 'real progress towards freedom and justice'.Hopes and Prospects is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the primary challenges facing the human race in the coming years.'A treasure-trove of truths that shouldn't be left buried in our sandpit of propaganda and lies' Johann Hari, Independent'Noam Chomsky is a global phenomenon . . . he may be the most widely read American voice on foreign policy on the planet today' The New York Times Book Review'The west's most prominent critic of US imperialism . . . the closest thing in the English-speaking world to an intellectual superstar' GuardianNoam Chomsky is the author of numerous bestselling political books, including Hegemony or Survival, Failed States, Interventions, Perilous Power, What We Say Goes, Imperial Ambitions, Making the Future, How the World Works, and Hopes and Prospects all of which are published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin. He is a professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT, and is widely credited with having revolutionized modern linguistics. He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.

These volumes are concerned with Chomsky's contribution to cognitive science and intellectual history, and his impact on contemporary thought.

Brings together over 100 papers on every area of Chomsky's work, revealing how pervasive his influence has been on all aspects of modern thought. This volume focuses on linguistics and philosophy.

In this all-new collection of conversations, Noam Chomsky explores immediate and urgent international concerns including Iran's challenge to the United States, the deterioration of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the ongoing occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, the rise of China, and the growing power of the left in Latin America, as well as the Democratic victory in the US midterm elections and its ramifications for the future. As always, Chomsky presents his own ideas vividly and accessibly, with uncompromising principles and valuable insights. These interviews will inspire a new generation of readers, as well as long-term Chomsky fans eager for his latest thinking on the many crises the world now confronts.

At a time when the United States exacts a greater and greater power over the rest of the world, America s leading voice of dissent needs to be heard more than ever. In over thirty timely, accessible and urgent essays, Chomsky cogently examines the burning issues of our post-9/11 world, covering the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Bush presidency and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. This is an essential collection, from a vital and authoritative perspective.

For the years, the author's writings on politics and language have established him as a preeminent public intellectual and as one of the original and wide-ranging political and social critics. This title assembles the core of his important writings, including excerpts from his influential texts. It presents a comprehensive overview of his thought.

The United States asserts the right to use military force against failed states around the globe. But as Noam Chomsky argues in this devastating analysis, America shares features with many of the regimes it insists are failing and constitute a danger to their neighbours. Offering a comprehensive and radical examination of America past and present, Chomsky shows how this lone superpower which topples foreign governments, invades states that threaten its interests and imposes sanctions on regimes it opposes has stretched its own democratic institutions to breaking point. And how an America in crisis places the world ever closer to the brink of nuclear and environmental disaster.

Chomsky's interest in education has always been evident in his linguistic and philosophical inquiries, but not until now has a comprehensive anthology of his writings on education been compiled. This challenging book provides this.

In this important new collection of interviews with the acclaimed radio journalist David Barsamian, Noam Chomsky discuses U.S. foreign policy in the post-9/11 world. Barsamian has a unique rapport with Chomsky - having conducted more interviews and radio broadcasts with him than any other journalist - and here explores topics Chomsky has never before discussed: the 2004 presidential campaign and election; the future of Social Security; the increasing threat of global warming; and new dangers presented by the United States' ever-deepening entanglement in Iraq. The result is an illuminating dialogue with one of the world's leading thinkers - and a startling picture of the turbulent world in which we live.

Chomsky takes on the international scene since 1945, devoting particular attention to events following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He develops a forceful critique of Western government, from imperialist foreign policies to the Clinton administration's empty promises to the poor.

Draws on philosophy, biology, and the study of the mind to consider the nature of human cognitive capacities, particularly as they are expressed in language. This book considers the biological basis of language capabilities and the possibility of studying mental structures and capacities in the manner of the natural sciences.