Surviving the 21st Century - by Noam Chomsky & José Mujica & Saúl Alvídrez (Paperback)

About the Book

"Two world-renowned figures of contemporary politics come together to discuss timeless topics and debate alternatives for the future: Jose Pepe Mujica, former president of Uruguay and an ex-guerrilla who acquired an international following for his message of sustainability and common sense, and Noam Chomsky, who revolutionized linguistics and has become a beacon for radical thinking around the world"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Explore freedom, power, and the biggest challenges of the twenty-first century with two extraordinary thinkers

Two world-renowned figures of contemporary politics come together to discuss timeless topics and debate alternatives for the future: José "Pepe" Mujica, former president of Uruguay and an ex-guerrilla whose message of sustainability and common sense won him an international following, and Noam Chomsky, who revolutionized linguistics and has become a beacon for radical thinking around the world.

From the meeting of these peerless figures emerge reflections on the major global issues of our time: climate change, corruption, populism, the crisis of capitalism, and the logic of the market economy, among many others. Chomsky and Mujica emphasize throughout the values required to survive the challenges of the twenty-first century and build a new world: democracy, freedom, purposeful living, and friendship. Brought together by filmmaker Saúl Alvídrez, these two radical elders share passion, politics, and wisdom.

Review Quotes

"The noted linguist and leftist stalwart meets Uruguay's former president in wide-ranging conversation....now that Mujica is no longer with us, it has a certain poignancy. A valuable record of two contrarian political thinkers coming together to find common ground."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Surviving the Twenty-First Century has its origins in a documentary by Alvídrez featuring interviews and conversations with two of the foremost intellectuals of the twentieth century: Noam Chomsky and José Mujica. To be expected, both thinkers really know their stuff, but the reader who accepts the challenge of following these two brilliant men's analysis may find themselves rethinking much of what they thought they knew."
--Booklist

"Though Mujica did not publish much writing, his views on life and politics live on through the corpus of visitors' interviews...A well-timed new addition, out last month from Verso, takes the form of a lengthy series of conversations between Mujica and the leftist linguist Noam Chomsky, moderated by the Mexican documentarian Saúl Alvídrez. Surviving the 21st Century, compiling transcripts of conversations for a companion documentary, sees the two men holding forth on empire, the environment, love, and China."
--Sammy Feldblum, The Baffler

About the Author

Noam Chomsky is Institute Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Laureate Professor at the University of Arizona, and the author of more than one hundred books.

José Mujica was a Tupamaros guerrilla during the Uruguayan dictatorship. He spent almost fifteen years in prison. He served as the fortieth president of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015.

Saúl Alvídrez is a Mexican activist and the founder of #YoSoy132, which in 2012 became the largest student movement in Mexico's history. He is also a filmmaker. His debut documentary, Chomsky and Mujica, will be released in 2026.