Reviews and Comments

Noam Chomsky's Media Control was the first analysis of society and politics that I consumed that wasn't based in a partisan consensus. In describing propaganda and how it has been used throughout the twentieth century, he admonishes the Clintons just as much as the Bushes. Media control, Chomsky tells us, doesn't serve any party in particular, but the beneficiaries of capitalism. This was a radical insight to a much younger me who was struggling to understand why the American Dream wasn't turning out the way I was told it would.

Frode Singsaas describes the onset of his tinnitus as occurring suddenly, at work, and thinking he was hearing the fire alarm. When he moved to evacuate, it dawned on him that no one else was and that the noise he was hearing was coming from inside his own head. A Roaring Silence was a quick read, something I desperately gobbled up in a search for answers and solace as I confronted this condition myself. While the book may be a bit redundant in parts I enjoyed it overall. It helped dampen some of the anxiety I was feeling and provided my first glimpse of hope when my world was turned upside-down.

I always enjoy Margaret's writing. This was a quick and enjoyable read that, for all its brevity, still managed to expand my mind.

There are few books I would say are must-reads. I wish everyone would read this book. Solnit does an amazing job recounting some of the worst disasters (mainly in the U.S.) over the past 100 years. In doing so, she paints a picture that contrasts the state response to disaster with the ways that everyday folks build paradises in hell. An amazing book well conceived and well written. 5/5

There are few books I would consider must-reads. This is a book I wish everyone would read. Solnit does an amazing job of recounting some of the major disasters to occur (mainly in the U.S.) over the last hundred years. In doing so, she illustrates the stark contrast between the state response to disaster and how everyday people come together to create a paradise in the midst of hell. This book is a treasure. Well conceived and well executed. I honestly don't remember when I read it. The dates are random times in the past.