There are books that confirm what you already believe, and then there are books that quietly, methodically, torch the furniture in the room. This one’s the latter.

Chomsky has this unnerving way of calmly pointing out that the systems we treat as “just how the world works” are often doing exactly what they’re meant to—just not for you. Or me. Or most people. I did a double take and realized how easily we accept the rules of the game. We chase success, efficiency, growth—but rarely stop to ask for whom? Somewhere along the way, collective responsibility got replaced with personal branding. And we called that progress.

With this book he makes a case (without ever raising his voice) that when profit comes first, people end up somewhere much further down the list. I am reminded of this book whenever someone says, “that’s just business.” Like… is it? Or is that just the story we tell to avoid looking at who’s winning, who’s losing, and who decided that was fine?

This book left me with many questions, and an intense distrust for GDP data and policy infographics. It also taught me that real leadership sometimes means asking unpopular questions about power, fairness, and responsibility. It’s messy work, but someone has to do it. Otherwise, we’re just rearranging deck chairs while the ship goes down.

These books taught me that growth isn’t just about getting better at what you already do. It’s about questioning what you think you know, sitting with difficult questions, and remembering that your choices affect other people. That’s what I try to bring to every conversation I have as a coach.