How the World Works

According to The New York Times, Noam Chomsky is “arguably the most important intellectual alive.&; But he isn&;t easy to read . . . or at least he wasn&;t until these books came along. Made up of intensively edited speeches and interviews, they offer something not found anywhere else: pure Chomsky, with every dazzling idea and penetrating insight intact, delivered in clear, accessible, reader-friendly prose. Published as four short books in the famous Real Story series—What Uncle Sam Really Wants; The Prosperous Few and the Restless Many; Secrets, Lies and Democracy; and The Common Good—they&;ve collectively sold almost 600,000 copies. And they continue to sell year after year after year because Chomsky&;s ideas become, if anything, more relevant as time goes by. For example, twenty years ago he pointed out that “in 1970, about 90% of international capital was used for trade and long-term investment—more or less productive things—and 10% for speculation. By 1990, those figures had reversed.&; As we know, speculation continued to increase exponentially. We&;re paying the price now for not heeding him them.