Understanding Power
by Noam Chomsky
★ Top 25 book of 2002 · #14 on Best Books of 2002
Edited from Chomsky's recent talks, this collection reexamines three decades of events, from foreign policy during Vietnam to cuts in welfare. It links imperial overseas policy to shrinking domestic services and points toward ways of pursuing social change.
Best for: Newcomers and longtime followers interested in politics, media and activism
Understanding Power is #14 on BookWard's Best Books of 2002, out of 32 2002 books that cleared our data bar.
What Understanding Power is about
This book gathers transcripts of seminars, talks and Q&A sessions given by Noam Chomsky to audiences across the United States and Canada from 1989 to 1999. Two public defenders from New York, Peter R. Mitchell and John Schoeffel, edited the material into ten chapters, with the opening ones drawn from a teach-in in Rowe, Massachusetts.
The spoken format keeps the explanations plain. Chomsky argues that American foreign policy and the decline of domestic social services are linked, and he looks at the role of the media and at how popular movements form and push for change. Chapters on community activists, intellectuals and movement organizing make it a useful starting point for anyone new to his thinking, and for activists weighing how to get involved.
Understanding Power on the Best Books of 2002
Understanding Power came out in 2002. Of the 32 books first published in 2002 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #14 on our Best Books of 2002 list.
Why it made the list: 196 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (14 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2002 list
- Middlesex Jeffrey Eugenides, #12
- Night Watch Terry Pratchett, #13
- Without Fail Lee Child, #15
- Prey Michael Crichton, #16
See all Best Books of 2002 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2001 Best Books of 2003.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 169 want to read it, 10 are reading it now and 17 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.1 out of 5 from 14 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 38 | 55% |
| Reader love | 63 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 56 | 20% |
Questions about Understanding Power
When was Understanding Power published?
Understanding Power by Noam Chomsky was first published in 2002.
Was Understanding Power one of the best books of 2002?
Understanding Power is #14 on BookWard's Best Books of 2002, out of 32 2002 books that cleared our data bar. 196 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (14 ratings).
Why is Understanding Power on the Best Books of 2002 list?
196 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.1 out of 5 (14 ratings).
More of the best books of 2002
- Romancing Mister Bridgerton Julia Quinn, #1
- Coraline Neil Gaiman, #2
- Room on the Broom Julia Donaldson, #3
- Why Does He Do That? Lundy Bancroft, #4
- Everything's Eventual. 14 Dark Tales Stephen King, #5
- Stories of Your Life and Others Ted Chiang, #6
See the full Best Books of 2002, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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