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Summary: Greatest book I've ever read. "Moving" "Beautifully written"
Review: "Atlas Shrugged" may be the greatest book I've ever read. It is 1200 pages which you must take your time reading in order to treasure every sentence. I've never seen a book in which EVERY SENTENCE is perfectly written and full of POWER.Just set aside 1-2hrs a day and just let it finish itself. Otherwise you may get discouraged with it's length. ie allow twice the time per page of a murder novel. (I generally read those in one sitting) This book seems like it was written in the last 20 years, politically.
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Summary: A most powerful book.
Review: A must read, pure and simple!
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Summary: ONE OF THE GREAT BOOKS OF ALL TIME
Review: This book is fantastic. A long, long read, but it really pays off. I envy those who have not read it yet. It portrays a world of forced "fairness" and "mediocrity", with the pathetic goverment leaders punishing those who produce and rewarding those that do nothing but complain and tax the resources of society and give nothing in return. The scarey thing is that this book is becoming nonfiction. Look at the government and all the "fairness" and "politically correct" environment that exist today and all the insane leaders competing for control of the country....
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Summary: Hands down...
Review: The best book i have ever read, i could not put it down. The philiosphical principles that this book and other ayn rand titles go into are excellent, don't think twice about buying this book.
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Summary: Objectivism - the Philosophy of Reason
Review: Quite simply the most important modern work of philosophy. Ayn Rand presents to us - in the form of an epic novel - her philosophy of Objectivism. A philosophy that is based on reason and logic. This book was more to me than twelve hundred pages of fiction. When I read it, I felt as if someone had taken my ideas and ideals and put them in print. When you live in a world ruled by men - and women - who rely not on reason, but on feelings; who claim that the collective is more important than the individual - when you live in a world like that it is a revelation to realise you're not the only one thinking forbidden thoughts. I think the real reason why people fear Ayn Rand and her philosophy is that it demands just that of you - that you think for yourself; that you put yourself first, and that you stand up for everything you do - even your mistakes. Ayn Rand - approved.
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Summary: Simply a masterpiece
Review: Say what you will about Rand's philosophical views, but her talent as a writer is indisputable. Considering that English is her second language, the complex, seemingly discordant plot of this book that suddenly comes together so perfectly is nothing short of amazing.
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Summary: Who's Afraid of Ayn Rand?
Review: I have found that Objectivism isn't very radical at all, and many people are quasi-Objectivists without knowing it. For example, her metaphysics is easily the most popular system in the world, that "A is A," and although she is branded as a cult philosopher, none of her conclusions are derived from anything otherworldly or revelatory. Most of her criticism comes from the fact that her followers are die-hards, and in a rational world, that would be considered virtuous. Atlas Shrugged is a perfect introduction to a great thinker and a provocative philosophy. Do not dignigy the posts on this review board which make invalid criticisms. Before reading, keep in mind that Atlas Shrugged is a work of Romanticism. The characters and ideas are exaggerated intentionally to bolden their stances, courses of action, and clashes against one another. Do not be discouraged by uniformed reviewers who have not arrived at the obvious. Miss Rand herself divulged that Atlas Shrugged, like all of her fictional works, is a story about ideas. Therefore, when you read a post criticizing the believability of her characters or plot, remember that this is intentional and should not detract from the author's artistic merit. Her primary purpose is to portray man "as he might and ought to be." Furthermore, do not consider the posts that say her philosophy is a brainwasher because someone's distinguished college professor said so. One person made the claim that Miss Rand would chastise someone for giving bread to the poor. This is simply untrue, and much more information on this can be found in her other books, such as The Virtue of Selfishness. Her ethical/political stance does not promote blind intolerance of others, such as the poor- it advocates free choice as to whether or not you wish to give. It does not urge one to lie and cheat his way to the top- it asks that one adhere to his or her values and live life in an honorable way. At first, I too was very critical of Objectivism, until I realized that its premises weren't very different from those I've always held. But the most important thing is that it brings this to your attention, and in a way it brightens your values and love of life. I believe that most of Miss Rand's critics are afraid of her because she demands the best from them. They are afraid of that notion.
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Summary: Breath of fresh air!
Review: I am one of those romantics drawin in by Rand's ideas. I won't speculate here whether characters were realistic, they are not. The philosophy of 'Atlas' was more interesting than the fiction. "The Fountainhead" is by far a better literary work. To her credit, she gives religion and altruism a deserving smack in the face. She also lays the groundwork for her philosophy here. Her significant contribution to philosophy was the "Rand Razor." "A" is "A." Contradictions cannot exist.
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Summary: One of the essential works in literature
Review: As of this date, nearly 700 people have contributed their opinions of this book, some at great length. I am somewhat apologetic to be adding to this huge mass. If I may, however, I would like to briefly state that this book deserves to be read by every thinking person. It is unique on several levels. This is a book of philosophy presented as fiction. The story itself is gripping, and Rand is a powerful writer. America's economic system is crumbling, in the mid-20th century, under the weight of a heavily regulated political system. Rand's heroes and heroines are the super-achievers who invent and produce and drive the country's GNP. One of Rand's fascinating precepts in this book is that her heroes perform a disservice to the nation and the world by their failure to defend freedom in the sphere of economics as a moral value. In my opinion, the importance of Atlas Shrugged is this: Our culture today tends to embrace feeling good as a philosophy. As a result, we all tend to believe that anything at all that is done on behalf of the poor, the weak, or the downtrodden is inherently good. Rand ingeniously illustrates how this philosophy fails at the national-political-system level. She shows that policies that extend benefits to the lower strata of society at the expense of the higher can have the effect of undermining the wealth, the soul, and the strength of that society. Whereas policies which may seem cold and heartless and ungenerous can in fact provide the greatest good to the greatest number of people. As a novel, you will certainly enjoy Atlas Shrugged. You will never push your way through a book over 1,000 pages so quickly. As a treatise on ethics and society, I believe that every reader needs to ask himself the question of how the application and the validity of Rand's ideas differ at the individual level and the overall social system level. One of the five most important books you will ever read.
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Summary: Philosophy with a car chase
Review: Actually, it's an airplane chase.
When I was studying philosophy in college, my professors warned me away from Ayn Rand. "She's not a very deep thinker", "it's libertarian propaganda", "the characters are shallow blowhards". When I finally got around to reading Atlas Shrugged, I was in for a wonderful surprise. I was expecting something like Adam Smith with a superiority complex. What I found was more like Tom Robbins channelling the spirit of Alan Greenspan. Yes, Atlas Shrugged is little more than a vehicle for Ayn Rand's money-worshipping philosophy of greed. But it's how she pulls it off that's infinitely charming. She has Robbins' weirdness, but with a driving commitment to absolute truth that gives her work a powerful edge.
Atlas Shrugged includes such improbabilities as a submarine-captaining pirate who steals from the poor and gives it all to the rich, a lost Atlantis hidden in the Rocky Mountains, a perpetual motion matchine that runs on static electricity, and a sonic doomsday device along with the more mundane trimming of pulp novels: mysterious disappearances, sordid affairs, fiendish plots and, as I mentioned before, an airplane chase.
Atlas Shrugged is what I like to call "Pulp Philosophy" (or, if you prefer, Philosophy with a car chase). I picked the book up because I wanted to know what Rand thought about things. But I finished it because it's good fun. Just don't take it too seriously.--Not written by Marion_the_Librarian, but her husband [who didn't check to see under what profile he was writing.]
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