Noam Chomsky

Academic and activist Noam Chomsky has contributed an enormous amount to modern political and academic knowledge. A prolific writer, researcher and critical thinker, he has shaped contemporary linguistics, philosophy and liberal thought like no other. Volumes on Chomsky abound, yet an approachable and up-to-date introduction to the man and his life has until now been lacking, due perhaps to the sometimes dense and technical nature of Chomsky’s writing, and also the sheer volume of his work. Noam Chomsky, the latest addition to Reaktion’s CRITICAL LIVES series, presents just such an introduction. With extensive biographical background notes, photographs, and illustrations,Wolfgang B. Sperlich introduces the reader to Chomsky’s major innovations in linguistics and politics, illuminating the work within its historical context. The author describes Chomsky’s formative years and his main intellectual influences, especially in the field of language studies; and his gradual separation from the mainstream American intellectual community. The author also traces the latest developments in Chomskyan linguistics and how they relate to wider issues of cognition, neuro-science, biology and evolution.