It's a reputation well-earned. He is nothing if not completely thorough, completely on the ball and his every-angle approach coupled with searing insight and formal intellectual methodology ensures that when he has something to say it'll be worth your while trying to grasp what he's getting at.

He has a particular focus for media and linguistics ... which have only made him more relevant and given him more to work with as the information age progresses. 'Manufacturing Consent' is pretty much essential reading.

Handily, there are also a number of CD's of the great man himself, many of them released by Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label. Jello's spoken word albums (including those he's done with D.O.A.) are also well-worth a listen, if maybe a little dated in some of the specifics now (Tipper Gore & the PMRC etc).

Not sure to what extent Chomsky is really a neo-Marxist, but as a point from which to critically analyze the development and machinations of modern western capitalism it's an invaluable perspective.