Not What I Had Hoped

Knowing nothing about Chomsky and being intrigued by the 5-star review by some 1381 people, I figured I'd give this book a listen. While there is certainly some truth to what he says, I don't think it really requires over 22 hours to get the point across. Basically, Chomsky says those in power will shape, manipulate, or otherwise pervert the system to stay in power at the expense of all those less fortunate. And, the only way to improve the lot of the less fortunate is for such people to organize resistance to the oppressive tactics of those in power, but in a decentralized way that is difficult for those in power to suppress. He does a great job of selectively enumerating historical examples that support his narrative. But, underlying all of this narrative is an implication that those in power are engaged in some sort of highly coordinated, carefully orchestrated plot to suppress all of the rest of us, that the situation is inescapable and hopeless, and that the best we can do is tactically resist to make things here and there a little better. I found the implication of an orchestrated plot by those in power to suppress the rest of us a bit too much of a stretch -- maybe there are some here and there that seek to do that, but not coordination on the scale that Chomsky seems to imply. Frankly, his whole outlook was too depressing for me to continue listening after about the first 11 hours. I think there are more positive ways to view the world and the way society works within it and that the key to improving things involves positive, constructive action, not targeted resistance.

22 people found this helpful

Current times demand you get this into your head.

I'm not what you would consider a member of the left, actually I'm a capitalist entrepreneur. But the ideas and concepts in this book are universal, fundamental and are necesary if you wish to understand how the modern world works and the true forces tha shape our lives.ostl6, if you want to make a change for thr better it's necesary to understand what change looks like in the long timeframes we humans need to make real lasting change.

I don't agree with some of the ideas he presents but they are microscopic and of little importance in comparison to the scope of the information in this book, but that's just an opinion.

The best thing is to read this now, almost 30 years later. Chomsky got most of it right as you will learn if you listen to this completely. he basically predicts our current state.

By the way, I have had this book for 10 years in print and never had made the time to read. so yeah, thanks Audible.

62 people found this helpful

Staggering insight.

A most amazing compilation of facts surrounding the understanding of world power and their structures by one of greatest minds of our time! I just hope he is wrong in his conclusions.

23 people found this helpful

Chomsky

Fantastic book. Well organized and narrated. Essential for all, especially anarchists. Chomsky is like a political and economic encyclopedia. Don't make the mistake of idolizing him, think for yourself and go organize!

8 people found this helpful

Great Material - Dry Performance

Mr. Bloodworth's reading is technically precise and easy to understand, it's as dry as toast roasted in the summer sun on the flats of the Atacama Desert.

The source material more than make up for this.

Recommended.

15 people found this helpful

Understanding Power Indeed

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely, in fact I already have several times. If you feel you need help understanding power, how the media plays people and how the USA control the world this book is illuminating. Better yet it's accessible, and if you need to check it's sources you can readily though it's website.

What about Robin Bloodworth’s performance did you like?

He gets how Noam talks I think, and really gets the points across. I rather enjoy listening to him, so much so I have been listening to the book a second time barely a week later which is unheard of for me.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely, but it's so dense your best to take breaks so you can content with the material.

Any additional comments?

After listening to Understanding power, I recommend Dictators hand book as a companion. and I do suggest them in that order as Understanding power really informs on the hypothesis presented in The Dictator's Handbook.

Possible the best book I've read in years and certainty the best political book I've ever read.

4 people found this helpful

Understanding Power: good material badly presented

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend it, but with major caveats. Chomsky is a brilliant thinker with an array of facts at his command that goes far beyond "impressive": "staggering" is more like it. He both knows about and has thought about an extraordinary range of issues. And this is part of the difficulty in listening to this book. The material seems to have been organized in a haphazard, or at least bizarre, way: a given chapter might include material on abortion, the Korean War, various conspiracy theories, and Wall Street capitalists. The next chapter might include some of these as well, along with a bunch of others. The material is certainly not organized chronologically, which would have had its own value in seeing the development of Chomsky's thoughts. The chapter titles are of no help here, nor are the "section" titles -- I'm not sure what else to call them -- phrases inserted between chunks of material. They feel like the editor/producer telling me what the next part is "actually" about; this is not a big drawback, but could have been done much better.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Understanding Power?

The book left me with diametrically opposed feelings - the need to take action, to find something that one can do, set next to the feeling of the enormous difficulty of making anything actually happen. These thoughts are echoed over and over by the people -- often serious activists themselves -- who attended these talks and whose questions structure the material. Then again, perhaps that is the result that Chomsky was striving for.

What didn’t you like about Robin Bloodworth’s performance?

The reading itself isn't bad, but there are some choices (which may or may not have been Bloodworth's) that really, and I mean really, get in the way of making this a more enjoyable experience. One is simply how Noam Chomsky's first name is pronounced. I have always heard "Noam" pronounced to rhyme with "Rome" or (what I think is more correct) just as it is spelled, as having almost two syllables: think of saying "Noah" but with an "m" on the end. In the various editors notes that occur through the recording, this is the way Bloodworth says it. All good. But whenever a questioner says "Noam" -- most of the material consists of Chomsky's responses to questions, so this happens a lot --it is pronounced, utterly inexplicably, to rhyme with "Nam" just as in "Vietnam". The first time I thought he was just repeating what the person asking the question actually said. But it's done every single time, and I would bet anything this didn't happen in the actual events. And it's irritating every single time. Such an easy thing to get right, and he knows the right way to say it, so why?? Still, this is less offensive that something it really must have been in Bloodworth's control. Questions are asked, as one would imagine, by both men and women. Bloodworth says at the outset that he will identify the questioners by gender, apparently thinking this makes it easier to follow the material. It doesn't, in my opinion, but it's no big deal. Or not at least till you hear how he does this. When a man asks a question, Bloodworth's voice drops in pitch and becomes rather more harsh, sometimes almost gruff. Even more noticeably, when he's relating a woman's question, his voice gets very distinctly higher in pitch and softer, in some cases actually breathy. He delivers, in other words, the quintessential stereotypes of men's and women's speech and, in my opinion, it verges on outright sexism. It certainly gets in the way of paying attention to the content of the questions. Considering what the book is about, one is only left to wonder what Chomsky would think listening to this.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This book should not be listened to in one sitting, even if it were short enough to do so as a practical matter. There is too much to think about on each of the many topics covered, not only as to what Chomsky is saying, but how his narrative fits in with (or rather contrasts with) what you've heard and read before. Most of the thinking should be "if I'm so moved and/or disturbed by what I've just heard, what could I or should I do about this?"

7 people found this helpful

A good start to Chomsky...

I enjoyed this very much. The first 9 "chapters" are a good summation of the U.S. and it's impact both here and abroad throughout the latter portion of the 20th century. For people like me in their mid 30's, it will be very interesting as much of what is covered happened when we were very young or before our time began. The last part of this collection has some very alarming conversation in regards to our future that is happening now and in recent years. Some may find this very boring and that is understandable as it can be very "dry" unless you are just very into Chomsky or his perspective on the power structure in our world. Overall it was a good listen but I had to give it a 4 because I did struggle to stay interested through some of it. I would like to give a lot of credit to the editors for what must have been a tedious and painstaking process to compile the best questions and answers from many different talks .

3 people found this helpful

Preaching to the choir in a powerful way

So what are you doing about (it - whatever)?? Noam has always pushed us to be our best selves - to try to right wrongs and find alternatives to violence in our own lives and those of people everywhere. He is reminding us of what is in our hearts - we know when something is unsustainable (our shortsighted economic greed and resultant violence) and we know what to do about it (seek out and join with like-minded people to speak out, to support the good and to oppose and expose the oppression by the corporate oligarchy. We are powerful together, but not in isolation. I say listen, learn, love ourselves and others and don't let our brothers and sisters suffer - just do it. Together we are powerful!

3 people found this helpful

Excellent Standalone or as a Supplement

Would you listen to Understanding Power again? Why?

Yes.Noam Chomsky's writings and lectures are filled with an overwhelming number of facts, numbers, and statements. So many, in fact, most of it will never reach your long term memory after just a listen or two. I read the hard copy first. While I don't mind plucking through the pages for a part I want to revisit, this was a much less daunting review that allowed for a cover-to-cover experience.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Every single aside and footnote could be traced to a real world reality. If he said a corporation wrote a letter asking for something from the government, even if the request seems insane, that letter exists and is available to the public. That is not to say there isn't opinion in here, there is very strong opinion. The facts are immaculate, however.

Which character – as performed by Robin Bloodworth – was your favorite?

Robin Bloodworth performed Chomsky's work throughout. One thing that immediately jumped out to me, having seen or heard some of the lectures, was the difference between inflection and emphasis. I only mention this because I am aware that most who would call themselves Chomsky fans have heard a lot of audio and seen many lectures. I found that Bloodworth's performance evened out Chomsky' and provided consistency to a collection written over such a long period (at 85, he sounds healthy, but obviously different than in his youth) and including diverse formats.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

"And the end result is in fact quite similar: what are called opinions "on the left" and "on the right" in the media represent only a limited spectrum of debate which reflects the range of needs of private power-but there's essentially nothing beyond those "acceptable" positions."

10 people found this helpful