This book is designed to make the thought of Noam Chomsky, a scholar whose work has been influential not only in the field of linguistics but in psychology, philosophy, and political science as well, accessible to a wider public than is reached by Chomsky's highly technical writing. The author expresses the hope that this book will provide the reader with enough historical and technical background to enable him to go on to Chomsky's own work. The book provides a brief biographical sketch, and then prepares the way for an examination of Chomsky's ideas by presenting an account of developments in linguistics to the point of Chomsky's appearance on the scene. The innovations introduced by Chomsky are then discussed followed by examinations of the psychological and philosophical implications of his theories. In the concluding chapter the author states his belief that "it was Chomsky's research on the formalization of syntactic theory that constitutes his most original and probably his most enduring contribution to the scientific investigation of language" and then presents some criticism of Chomsky's thought, taking particular issue with Chomsky's strong philosophical stand in favor of rationalism as opposed to empiricism. (FWB)