Noam Chomsky is the author I have read the most books from in the last few years.

Brilliant, articulate, compassionate, well researched, insightful, he has inspired a generation of activists and enraged a generation of those who have grown fat from the status quo. In a world where everyone was involved in a vibrant discussion of ideas, he would be a household name.

This book transcribes Chomsky's discussions on many of the important topics in our world over the last decades. His favourite topic is the use of US power to dominate world politics for the purposes of maintaining US privilege and position. He doesn't ever forget though, that the US has the highest proportion of people living in poverty and in prisons in the western world, and that it is not the land of plenty for everybody.

The elite which dominates the US has more in common with corporate elites in other countries than their own less well off population. Indeed they fear that potentially democratic population and do what they can to ensure that they are kept in line. If you would like to reclaim our world from corporations and vested interests, from military hegemony and corrupt elites, if you would like to see a world where the purpose of our institutions is helping people live their lives, rather than being used to make a dollar for an elite, you should read some Chomsky and this book is a great place to start.

The Nation was right when they said "Not to have read [him] is to court genuine ignorance", whatever side of politics you are on, you should know what he has to say.