title: Noam Chomsky: A Life of Dissent
author:  Robert F. Barsky 
description: Noam Chomsky (b. 1928) is best known for his important contributions to linguistics, cognitive psychology, and contemporary politics. This new biography examines Chomsky's intellectual development both as a student of logic and language and as a philosophical anarchist. Barsky (comparative literature, Univ. of Western Ontario) is particularly concerned with situating Chomsky as an independent political actor, describing his distinctive interventions in debates over Vietnam, the responsibilities of intellectuals, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and U.S. foreign policy. He carefully distinguishes Chomsky's left-libertarian views from those of conventional liberals and Marxists and ardently defends Chomsky against his critics in politics as well as linguistics. Barsky has prepared a lucid and well-organized introduction to the life and work of one of the century's most famous dissident intellectuals. Recommended for academic libraries.?Kent Worcester, Social Science Research Council, New York<br />Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
zlib_text: Noam Chomsky ruthlessly exposes 
  the dark side of power. Everything 
  politics is, Chomsky isn't. He takes 
  you where few dare to tread. 
  Jerry Brown 
  How adroitly he cuts through the 
  crap and actually says something. 
  Village Voice 
  One of the most respected and 
  influential intellectuals in the world. 
  Rolling Stone 
  Over the last dozen years, Chomsky 
  was the most often cited living author. 
  Among intellectual luminaries of all 
  eras, Chomsky placed eighth, just 
  behind Plato and Sigmund Freud. 
  Chicago Tribune 
  
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