Product Description

The Real Story Series is based on a simple idea--political books don't have to be boring. Short, well-written and to the point, Real Story books are meant to be read.

In these fact-filled, illusion-shattering masterpieces, the man the "New York Times" called "arguably the most important intellectual alive," explains why "what the public wants is called 'politically unrealistic.' Translated into English, that means power and privilege are opposed to it."

Normally somewhat difficult to read, Chomsky is at his most accessible in his speeches and interviews, and that's what these books are compiled from. Here are some examples of what he has to tell you:

In 1970, about 90% of international capital was used for trade and long-term investment-more or less productive things--and 10% reserved for speculation. By 1990, those figures were reversed.

Haiti, a starving island, is exporting food to the U.S.--about 35 times as much under Clinton as under Bush.

The gap between how much income is held by the richest and poorest 20? has increased dramatically over the past 30 years--about double for rich vs. poor countries and far more for rich vs. poor people.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #176565 in Books
• Published on: 1995-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 333 pages

About the Author
Noam Chomsky is Institute Professor of Linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is the author of many books on U.S. foreign policy.

Customer Reviews

All the things they didn't want you to know
Noam Chomsky is arguably one of the most important thinkers of the last 100 years (he was voted 9th all time in a recent poll of college professors and academicians, just behind Aristotle). So why have most Americans never heard of him? Read this set of books and the answer will be quite clear. In Europe practically every educated person knows this American philosopher by name, but here in America the rich and powerful would rather that you did not.

In this collection of writings Chomsky exposes the dark side of American history. Backed with indisputable facts and extensive research these books systematically detail the crimes of the corporate/military industrial complex. Chomsky delves into the hidden agendas and backroom dealmaking behind everything from NAFTA, Desert Strom, The War on Drugs, Corporate Media Manipulation and much, much more.

These books will fill you with sadness, outrage and even hope. But, after reading them your outlook on America will never be the same. This book is not an attack against America and Americans, it is instead a warning against the hidden powers that are attempting to destroy the most basic ideas of freedom itself. In writing these books, he has both provided some much needed historical balance, and provided some suggestions and ideas concerning how we, the average citizens, can achieve real social change. Chomsky also provides a list of resources and info about getting involved with an exhaustive list of organizations that are "working to make the world a better place". In the end, all these books can do is inform and educate, it is up to each individual to do what they can for real social change; a book is only the beginning.

Great Introduction Into Some Important Ideas
These books are wonderful compilations of Chomsky's lectures and interviews, where Chomsky is most easily understood (those fearing, like myself, that these books are difficult reading, will be pleasantly surprised by how easily digestible these books really are). The Chomsky Trilogy brought up some things I had never heard about before, particularly our anti-democratic interventions in South America for the sake of American corporations. Stories like that made me feel like a much more informed citizen (particularly in foreign affairs) after reading these books. For those who liked this set, I also recommend two other items: Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (a video of Noam Chomsky ideas on media control) and 20 Years of Censored News by Carl Jensen (a compilation of news articles considered too controversial to print).

A great introductory series
This is a great series for people looking into Chomsky.

I would like to respond to the person below. This whole holocaust thing is constantly brought up and is "misconstrued". I believe it was a french political scientist who was saying that the holocaust didn't happen. He was being silenced for espousing such appalling views. Legal action was being brought against him. Chomsky signed a petition asking to stop such measurements, he was one of five-hundred. He wasn't defending what this moron was saying, but his right to say it! Hell, Chomsky's Jewish. One wonders why people attack the person and not the concepts being discussed, maybe its because Noam speaks the truth.

"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all." --Noam Chomsky