Rating: 
Summary: Endorsed by Radio talk Show hosts as must read.
Review: Whether one is conservative, liberal, socialist, fascist or libertarian, reading this book helps one understand where libertarians are coming from. Libertarians have beliefs that can't be explained away as hate or racism and such name calling is the last resort of those who have no substantive arguments to make.My professors should have assigned this book as part of my poly sci degree, though they had me read Adam Smith, Mao and Marx.
Rating:
Summary: best of 'em
Review: Why is it superhuman to strive for perfection in yourself, to push your own limits? Why is failure an acceptable outcome? Why are those who seek the betterment of mankind through the betterment of themselves shunned?
The man who performs his job with pride and confidence, the particulaly competant secretary, the ambitious grocery clerk, the female executive who will not cave in to the world around her, all are given an equal nod by Rand. She strips the gray layers of fog off of humanity and offers the essence for us to examine. There are those who move the world, and those who work to maintain an acceptable level of mediocrity 'for the common good'. Isn't it selfish to try for perfection, when there are those around you who won't, or can't? After all, if one doesn't try, one can't be faulted for failure, right? No one should be allowed to achieve while there are still those who can't. Ayn's world doesn't reflect ours in the slightest, does it? Let go of your convictions, let go of your frustrations, let go of the idea that settling for the path of least resistance is a way of life, and let Ms. Rand show you her world - as it is, as it could be, as it was through her eyes.
Rating: 
Summary: Check your premises
Review: The first 250 pages until chapter 9 are absolutely fabulous. The events up to the train ride are a testament to human determination and are extremely well written. The book should have ended here but it didn't. Rand is a formidable negotiator and a master linguist; left unchallenged her arguments seem flawless. If you exercise your mind while reading this, you will realize that the insides are hollow and rotten like Eddie's oak tree. If you don't, Ayn will fill your mindless void with her perceptions. Considering that Rand shows contempt for >>99.99% of the people, perhaps this was her aim all along. "Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think you are facing a contradiction, check your premises." So I did: "Money is a virtue" (Money = production = virtue)
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First is money earned commensurate with ability or effort?? Next she refers constantly to the looters arising from the "foundation of men of honesty." Who are these men of honesty? She mentions it once. They are the oppressed slaves, traders, shopkeepers and industrialists. Do the oppressed, forced to produce, automatically become highly moral creatures? A philosophy that can justify murder of:
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"[A Housewife] who elected politicians of whom she knew nothing,"
"A school teacher who turned children into miserable cowards"
"[A philosopher] that taught that there is no mind." "A man who wanted to exist without the responsibility of consciousness" This is no more than the reduction of all men's characteristics to a handful of decisive metrics pushed under the guise of a new so-called "Objective" morality. Discriminatory murder goes against every civil and moral code every culture has worked hard to uphold. Explain the difference between this and Germany's Jews? The new intellectual whore
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A slut would likely go after the guy with the most money; Dagny goes after the guy with the superior mind - From Francisco, to Rearden to Galt. As a philosopher, what message is Rand saying about commitment, adultery or responsibility? Fidelity only to intelligence? There are so many more failed premises/contradictions:
- Advocating no government intervention yet Rearden demands a patent.
- Intelligent elite without responsibility to the elements that made them.
- The willful destruction of natural resources and environment.
- The virtue of smoking? Where's the responsibility to one's physical posterity?
- A motor with limitless energy fueled by the air? Conservation of energy?!!
- Consistent lack of solid counter-arguments.
Rating:
Summary: a timeless tale of philosophical wonder
Review: i'd say ayn rand's "atlas shrugged" is one of the best novels of all time. yes, it is quite long and tiring to read, but once you close the book there is a certain feeling of awe and wonder that remains in your soul. i'd say anyone who says "atlas shrugged" as being 'pointless' do not see the underlying message it brings to life. an open mind is needed in order to fully benefit from any of rand's writings. i highly recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but not real life
Review: I neither love nor hate this book; it absorbed me throughout but I was certainly aware of its shortcomings. And at some point I realized I was smirking at parts I was meant to be awed by. For instance: While hunting down John Galt, Dagney stops for a burger at a road-side joint and realizes she's in the presence of greatness because the short-order cook behind the counter has made the best hamburger she's ever had! (Naturally, it turns out he's a genius philosopher who has dropped out of society, along with the rest of the world's geniuses! Sorry, but the idea that he revealed his greatness through his burger struck me funny!) Plus, at some point Dagney is put in the position of having to make an elaborate breakfast, something (it pointedly says) she has never done in her life, yet, because she, like the "short-order cook", is one of the world's greatest people, she just somehow "knows" how to do this without a single mis-step, as though she'd been doing it all her life. I got a little impatient with the way Rand insists that her heroes can do absolutely nothing wrong, whether it be running a train system or cooking bacon and eggs for the first time. Unrealistic. The idea that one of the heroes withstood physical torture without making a peep was a disturbing message: Do Rand's "ideal" people not feel even physical pain? Plus, Dagney sure got to sleep around a lot. And one more thought: Do these people ever laugh?
Rating:
Summary: One of the best novels I have ever read
Review: I must start out by saying that if my high school english teachers had required books like this as standard reading I might have actually read them rather than Cliff Notes! Although this book is long and starts out a little slow, it is a wonderful book for anyone with an intellectual mindset. I feel that all of the reviewers that bash the book and give it one star are the impatient, unintellectual type that would rather read a John Grisham book or something of similar intellectual numbness. This book's plot is based on ideas and a philosophy that may be hard for many to accept. It may cause certain people, particularly those who's values it attacks, to make blanket statements concerning its lack of value or questionable literary merit, but that just illustrates their closed minded blindness to reality (similar to the characters in the book). While Rand may be pushing the extremes with some of her statements, in general the Objectivist philosophy would be one that the world's most successful people and economies have adopted in many ways. For example, the technology industry in Silicon Valley is based on a meritocracy that rewards superior ideas while showing no compassion for the weak, the lazy, or the complacent. It is based on networks of collaboration among those with ideas to improve their products and evolve to a greater level of productivity and economic gain rather than protectionism and stagnation. It is based on constantly seeking to improve products, indentify new opportunities, and develop new markets rather than ensuring a level playing field for all, strong or weak. These ideas are presented in the book through industrialists like Hank Reardon who works long and hard to develop a superior product - Reardon Metal - just to have the politicians, his competition, and people in power (who are threatened, jelous and envious of his success) try to commandeer the fruits of his labor by stripping him of his pattent rights. The people who dislike this book are the type of people who are portrayed by the antithesis of Hank Reardon - the jelous, envious, lazy, frightened people who are afraid of change, too lazy to innovate and compete, afraid to try, or just plain inferior. They cry for assistance, compassion, and "justice" because they can't help it that they weren't born with all the gifts of "others"... They wish to plague and drain society of all the profits and labor of others. It is these people who dislike this book - so feel free to write your negative reviews as it will just illustrate the type of person you are!
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable Story
Review: Maybe I should begin with the short version of my review: enjoyable story, but I really don't have much to say about the rest of the book. The philosophical portions simply did not engage me. Now, for the rest of the story... Rand's mammoth novel tells a story of hard-working capitalists pitted against communitarians who want equality for all and who produce nothing. The story begins with a railroad COO, an iron manufacturer, an oil producer, and other such business people who have built their own empires. Along the way, each is confronted with a changing political reality--that equality and good of the people are the new premises upon which all economic and societal decisions are based. Thus, railroads are told exactly how many trains they can and cannot run in a given state. Oil companies are told how much oil to produce. Steel companies are forced to turn over the ownership rights of their newest and greatest invention--Reardon Metal. And for hour after hour of reading, we hear about the decline in economic health and the frustrations this decline places on each capitalist character in the story. We also see the greed and corruption that quickly finds its way into governmental oversight organizations that are charged with running the country. In short, this is little more than capitalism versus communism. The novel, in narrative form of course, presents Rand's philosophical and clearly heartfelt criticism of communist (or centralized) societies. And then along comes our hero--John Galt. As is expected of any hero, John saves the day, embarrasses the centralized and corrupt government, and gets the woman. If you want to know how all this happens, you will have to read the book for yourself. I read this book for myself because so many of my students own it. I guess I enjoyed the story but cannot say I find Rand's philosophy to be very engaging. It seems seriously outdated to me. We know that market forces make better use of human invention, free will, and resources than can any centralized government. So a part of me is left asking "What is the point?" of this book in a modern context. For younger readers who maybe have not lived or thought through such questions yet, then I suspect the book could be quite engaging. Maybe that is why I see this book in the hands of several college students during any given semester. I am glad I bought the audio CD rather than the paperback. Twelve hours was more than enough to spend with this book. If a reader wants a better understanding of how market forces effectively manage and distribute human initiative, I would suggest "Against the Dead Hand" instead of this book. It is a better read and is based on fact rather than imagination. In the end I can't help but think of college students cheering at the end of a good football or hockey game. It may have been a good game, but the students still find a way to yell "overrated!" as the other team is about to be upset. That is pretty much how I feel right now. A fun story, but...
Rating:
Summary: Absorbing!
Review: I picked up Atlas Shrugged just to enter the essay contest. I had no thought about whether I would enjoy it or not. When I actually began to start reading it at first I thought "this is going to be boring" but I was soon so wrapped up in the book that any interuption in reading would irritate me. I give this book the highest rating possible and recommend Atlas Shrugged to anyone who is ambitious or searching for a reason to go on in life.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth the ride
Review: I must say right off the bat that this book is a pretty difficult read. The point that Ms. Rand set out to drive home is made REPEATEDLY in a brutal ranting fashion. Thing is, she's right in most every aspect. This book is a wonderful eye-opener for anyone interested in individualism, politics, or economics. It definitely serves as a haunting wake up call directed at our current social and government structure, our moral code, and our not too distant future. While Atlas Shrugged is a rather exaggerated and lopsided work of philospohical fiction, upon finishing the marathon one seems to understand the end justifying its means. If you don't mind long nights of objectifying life, work ethic, and politics---give it a read. You'll be a wiser man by the last page.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Why do so many praise (particullarly in politics) the virtues that make man less human, while at the same time degrade the most noble of man's traits? Why do certain people lift the those who consume the energy of society upon the rest of our shoulders, while simultaneously damning the producers that make such empty consumption possible? Why is human weakness and vice heralded as a badge of honor by some, while our real strengths are attacked as selfish and arrogant? Read this book and find out. Not only is "Atlas Shrugged" an exhilerating novel, it offers a clear answer to how a man should live on this planet, and why most don't. This book was ranked by members of Congress as the second most influential book in thier lives behind only the bible. Considering what is happening down in D.C. right now, I am afraid that our elected representatives were infuenced by "Atlas Shrugged" for all the wrong reasons, as Rand does a good job of expaining how the "elite" have worked for centuries to gain power over the mind of man. Should you read this book you will most likely love it or hate it . . but I doubt that you will fall somewhere in the middle. Read it and draw your own conclusions.
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