Rating: 
Summary: Invaluable, incomparable, and indulgent.
Review: We'll establish something straight off- the four stars here given Atlas Shrugged rate the philosophical, and not literary value of the book. Ayn Rand's signature work, a 1000-page treatise on the practical application of the ideas so memorably expressed in The Fountainhead, unfolds through characters and actions that are anything but convincing, anything but representative of reality. Had this condition been attributable merely to the characters being standard-bearers of an ideal, as was The Fountainhead's cast, the complaint would be negligible. When Rand asks us to mold reality, however, she'd do well to avoid urging us through characters that speak identically, that expatiate on a topic during conversation for pages on end to a willing audience, and that somehow come to universally use the word "unnamed" with a frequency that's equally, if not more irksome than The Fountainhead's use of "reproach," "impertinent," and "incongruous." Rand has elsewhere been called a master of subtlety- I can think of no greater fallacy. Each notable idea in Atlas Shrugged receives repeated, explicit, and dictatorial treatment through the book's course. This constant repetition, never more apparent than in the exceptional, but entirely redundant sixty-page climactic monologue, makes Rand's point well, but far too blatantly. It is precisely because Atlas Shrugged's thesis is such a remarkable one that we can afford to look past its artistic shortcomings. However often critics rail against the supposed delusion of Rand's vision, the nearly 1100 pages of Atlas Shrugged make clear the fact that the true delusion lies in supposing that one can find happiness in a world bereft of ambition, that body and soul, mind and matter are irreconcilable foes. Atlas Shrugged, additionally, pulls a reversal from the ideals of The Fountainhead's Howard Roark, though perhaps I ought to "check my premises- contradictions don't exist." The protagonists of Atlas Shrugged rise through the world in pursuit of money: doctors discover cures solely for profit, composers chart concertos for greenbacks, scientists peer into the workings of the planet for cash. The Fountainhead's Howard Roark, however, insists in decidedly nobler form, that to forge great achievements, we must "love the doing," that creation must be an end in itself. We find something of a descent from Rand's philosophical pinnacle in the admirable, but ultimately contrived pursuit of profits practiced by Atlas Shrugged's cast. Listening to the villains unctuously cry for selflessness, for sacrifice, and for collectivism from the start, I knew The Fountainhead had ruined my perception of these characters, established in that earlier novel as so contemptible. My patience for the words of veiled socialism I'd once held to be reasonable was dashed, and the persistent sense that, during Atlas Shrugged's ambling progression of events, I was watching the act of a magician that had already revealed her secrets to me remained. My prescription for the Rand neophyte: The Fountainhead, to receive a terse, expertly-written detailing of objectivism; Atlas Shrugged, to drive home every nuance of the philosophy, even if the text reeks of amateurism; The Fountainhead, a second time, to see the implied meaning within every page that Atlas Shrugged will have illuminated for the reader.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect as a political and economic philosophy
Review: But I think it's important to view it in the proper context. Personally I admire many of the goals of liberals. Unfortunately in practical terms many of their ideas are not very well thought through. And in my personal life I try to be as giving and helpful as possible. But when it comes to fiscal, economic, and political issues most liberals can't see the forrest for the trees. This book really solidified many feelings that I had but couldn't articulate. Man's mind being his own, the right to do as one pleases, and most importantly the right to be free and not a slave. And you can be a slave without shackles. Not as deplorable a situation but inhibiting nonetheless. The book extolls the virtues of work. Any form of work. But it gives deserved emphasis to the truly creative and intelligent leaders among us who are greatly responsible for our collective prosperity and productivity. The writing is just beautiful. I can still remember reading the scene where Dagny is riding the train cross country with the wind in her hair. Truly romantic and inspiring. And the mystery of Galt carries the story along from it's prophetic opening to its' ultimate climax. I firmly believe that each of us as individuals should endeavor to help our fellow man as much as we possibly can. It is another matter entirely to be forced to do so against ones will. But our choice to do so or not is a matter between us and our creator. Period. No one else has the right to impose their beliefs on another individual or require that they work to serve any interests other than their own or the interests of those they choose to bestow their blessings upon. Choose being the optimum word. I believe that governments role should be at its core singular in purpose. To protect the rights of the individual. And I think that a distinction needs to be made between equality of results and equality of opportunity. I'm stongly support the concept of equality of opportunity but I could care less about equality of results. As long as there is true equality of opportunity then I say let the chips fall where they may. Where opportunity has been unfairly denied then I would applaud any means to remedy the situation. We should not forget however that we are all sprung from the same well and should view ourselves as brothers and sisters rather than friends and foes. There is a commonality the connects us all and yet we are all individuals. We should be free to act as such.
Rating: 
Summary: a farce
Review: Ayn Rand's "Objectivist" philosophy is set out in this massive 1,000+ page work. I struggled through it and finally finished it nearly 11 months after I first picked it up. Having read it I decided to post a bit contrarian review of the work here for those who are considering reading it. Remember one thing before you read this book: to buy it or borrow it you must proceed to the FICTION section of your library or bookstore. Rand creates characters in this book that are so mind-bogglingly unrealistic and out of touch with what actually occurs in the real world that it made me sick. With these characters she weaves a plot filled with lengthy philosophical asides all in her great attempt to set forth for the reader the virtues of her philosophy, "objectivism." The b.s. ran so deep that at times I had to simply put the book down and walk away from it for a few weeks until the desire to simply finish it and get it off my nightstand was rekindled within me. I would not recommend this book to anyone--not even philosophy majors, it is simply way too far fetched.
Rating:
Summary: Life-changing!
Review: Rand was truly a visionary. It's amazing (and apalling) to see what she wrote about in the 50s coming true today. This is my "if you were stranded on a desert island and could have only one book" choice. The Fountainhead is also fantastic, but this is even better, so I recommend reading Fountainhead first. Though this is truly a classic, it's not surprising that you never see it being assigned in school. The ideas in this book inspire the reader to be anything but a "sheep," and I don't believe there's room in that system for a lot of free-thinkers. The bottom line? Read it and it will change your life.
Rating:
Summary: A Literary Treasure
Review: Ms. Rand has outdone herself in explaining the moral issues involved with pursuing one's interests in "Atlas Shrugged". This story has a futuristic setting like non seen in Orwell's "1984". The story focuses on Dagney Taggart, owner & operator of an expanding transcontinental railroad organization who's faced with the United States's economic deterioration. The underlying idea to the story is Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. She illustrates, through Taggart, Galt, etc., how one's self-interests are what make up the soul of the individual. Furthermore, she expresses to the readers how individuals are responsible for thier actions, and how we must fight to keep true to our ideologies, even if it means letting others suffer for thier wrong-doings.
Rating:
Summary: Grossly underrated, esp. by academia
Review: Many of these reviews have said that this book is simplistic. Others I have read in online forums say that Rand's philosophy "has holes big enough to drive a car through." Atlas Shrugged has so many different levels of complexity that I can only guess that these people had completely overlooked them. There are things that you'll miss if you've only read the book three times before. Short descriptions of feelings or personal reactions refer back to situations that seem unrelated--until you've read them for the fourth time. The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is hidden in the ending. The intricacy and complexity of plot is thrilling, and the suspense is sometimes unbearable. Some passages will make you stop and read them out loud, to savor the feel of the words on your tongue. The first time I read the book, there were many issues that I thought Rand had overlooked, or had missed the point on. Later, I would find that she *had* addressed my objections, but had done it so concisely that I had missed the full meaning of what she had written. Although the book can drag a bit at times, she is often a master of subtlety, and it can be easy to miss the full brunt of what she's saying. So many of the objections I have heard about Atlas Shrugged are based on misinterpretations or simply not getting the point. Don't read it just to be able to say that you read a 1000-page book. (And don't get too uptight about how the characters look. It's a book. If she wanted to make all her heros beautiful, then why the hell not?) There's so much there to learn from. Read it, and keep in mind that there's always more to AS than meets the eye.
Rating: 
Summary: Caught in the whirlwind that obscures the shallowness
Review: Ayn Rand's masterwork uses superheroic characters and a strongly slanted view of reality to ensnare the reader. I would venture to say that most people who read this book (myself included) without an extremely skeptical point of view get caught up in her writing. You desperately want to believe everything is as black and white as the famed John Galt sees it. Total focus on individual rights and rational selfishness becomes your 'gospel,' and you fall in love with the nobility of honest businessman earning his profit by trading with other capitalists of high integrity. But after the initial rush tapers away, and you start analyzing more "Objectively" you realize it is a house of cards. John Galt (her perfect human being) has a worldview that fails from a philosophical point of view, from a logical point of view, and most importantly from plain common sense. If you're interested in Libertarian philosophy, (similar to Rand's Objectivism) there are many better sources of a philosophical foundation for it than this work.
Rating:
Summary: Tremendous in scope yet simple in plot.
Review: I am nineteen years old and this book has probably changed my entire scope of the world. Atlas Shrugged is about the joys of capitalism. In society there are basically two types of people: those who make the world turn, the capitalist, the movers and shakers, the people who drive the economy. On the other side there are those who tend to feed off of the wealth. They beg for hand outs, do just enough to get by, and are bitter at those who have worked hard and become successful. In society we usually expect the bottom half to give out on us first. We expect them to not do the job all the way, never suceed at anything, and feed off of the hard workers. But what if that top half of the world, the movers and the shakers, suddenly decided to stop? What if the worlds' industrialist, business leaders, and those that drove the economy decided it just wasn't worth it anymore.... With its immortal cry: WHO IS JOHN GAULT? Ayn Rand has pieced together her view of capitalism and the world. The book is about one man who vowed to stop the motors of the world: and did..... I would recomend this to anyone who has ever worked for something in life, only to have it stolen by another person. I would recomend this book to anyone who wants to start a business, start a new career, or invest in something. As I said this book as truly redefined my idea of capitalism, the economy, and what it means to work for something.
Rating:
Summary: She exposes big government as it is, coercion.
Review: Ayn Rand did a marvelous job promoting the virtues of individual sovereignty in "Atlas Shrugged". It is sad that an immigrant would have a greater understanding of what our country was founded on than most citizens. I think she is brilliant, and her works should be required reading in high school.
Rating:
Summary: She outlines the problem of government.
Review: Her book is one of the best argumentative works that show the dangers of big government. Rand is able to knock common sense into people's head and give individuals the self-esteem they need. It ought to be required reading in high school English!
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