Surviving the 21st Century

Noam Chomsky author José Mujica author Saúl Alvídrez author Saúl Alvídrez editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Verso Books

Published:30th Sep '25

Should be back in stock very soon

Surviving the 21st Century cover

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 debate alternatives for the future: José "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. 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. Speaking especially to younger generations who inherited an unstable world, Chomsky and Mujica emphasize the values required to survive the challenges of the twenty-first century and to build a new world: democracy, freedom, humility, and friendship. Brought together by Mexican activist Saúl Alvídrez, Chomsky and Mujica offer a wise and passionate guide to salvaging the future.

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 *

ISBN: 9781804299517

Dimensions: 210mm x 140mm x 12mm

Weight: 183g

192 pages

Paperback original