Londons Falling

GREAT

Rating: 5/5
Comments:
Good condition. Great content; even for someone who thought he'd got the gist of Chomsky already.

Leaves you wanting more...

Rating: 4/5
Comments:
This book is a great introduction to both Noam Chomsky and anarchism, both in terms of its readability and its broad scope. Here one gets a taste of both anarchist theory and practice(alas, though, only a taste), as well as an examination of the celebrated peak of anarchism's influence on world history during the Spanish Civil War. This book is best in the hands of two types of readers: 1)the person already familiar with Chomsky who is interested in knowing what Chomsky stands for, and what has influenced his thinking; 2) the curious person who wants a lucid, brief introduction to the ideas of anarchism and not an esoteric, theoretical analysis.

I will say this though, for the person with a large apetite this book will not satiate it. Most of the book is transcripts of lectures or interviews Noam Chomsky has had over the years, and for me these for the most part left me disappointed with their lack of content, and rigor. However, the two major esays which are included "Objectivity and Liberal Scholarship" and "Containing the Threat of Democracy" are absolute gems, and in my view justify the purchase of this book alone. In conclusion I'll just say to not expect this book to suffice as your sole resource, neither for anarchism nor for Noam Chomsky.

Anarchy of Words

Rating: 3/5
Comments:
Very hard to read. The author does not communicate well on the written page. He could have pared this down and streamlined it so that it would be easier to read and understand his meaning. A good editor could chop off a good part and reword the rest to present the subject in an interesting and memorable way. Much too wordy. The plethora of unnecessary words and inefficient use of the written language obscures his meaning.

JHC