Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book
Review: I read this book (which by the way is not too long). I loved it. Why? Because before I read it my own ideas were just half formed, nothing solid. Now I know what a hero is. A person who has integrity and intelligence and the courage to uphold it. So for all those self-righteous pricks out there who BELIEVE that they have a right to the money and goods that others earned, who BELIEVE that others have an obligation to help everyone, try thinking.
Rating:
Summary: candid and unique piece of work
Review: An earlier reviewer struck an important vein when mentioning that academia and media have left this novel largely untouched, while it has continued to be read via word-of-mouth recommendations. Why? Rand is provocative; the novel engenders both deep respect and vitriolic opposition. Why?To begin with, this is not an ordinarily structured novel; it is an overt statement of a philosophy. The plot, like many of those employed by Shakespeare, is not wholly original. (See an older book entitled "Secret of the League"). In any event, Rand uses the complex plot allegorically as a vehicle for describing her own unique philosophy and its consequences. Rand's philosophy, and it is clear enough upon reading, is a synthesis of Aristotelianism with more modern "humanistic" concerns, in the greatest and original sense of the term. Rand ties Aristotle's basic conceptions of logic to the workings of egoism and capitalism. She rejects Nietzschean irrationalism, Kantian ethics, and the kind of Pragmatism championed by Dewey. Her suggested replacement for these constructs is a body of thought which recognizes and responds to human needs and values, economic conditions, political necessities, and logical imperatives, even if incompletely at times. Oddly, her critics continue to tout her as little more than a "pop-philosopher". On to her book. Atlas Shrugged is a fountainhead of skilled dialogue and monologue. Francisco's speech on "money" is insightful, and honest. Some prosaic passages, like Galt's enormous speech near the novel's end, could have used some editing. Nonetheless, such passages are meant to (and succeed in) conveying a rather thorough philosophy. Also adept at employing dialogue, Rand leaves cutting snippets and short verbal gems throughout the book. She distinguishes perceptively between 'what people commonly say' and 'what those words often covertly are intended to mean.' This making-bare is done through the frankness of her protagonists, some of which mere foils to reveal more probing insights. Those who would call her characters "shallow" may be correct if judging by contemporary literary standards which praise personal texture and ambiguity. Rand seems more interested in the kind of moral tale woven by the great Greek dramatists, in which characters are primarily vehicles of ideas. It was once said that the purpose of philosophy is to start with something that everyone takes for granted, and to end with that which noone will believe. Rand uses Atlas Shrugged to achieve this kind of ideational journey. No shallow fanatic, her novel is a work is also a great psychological study of the motives of several common ideas, values, and ethical standards. She constructs in Atlas Shrugged a powerful critique of collectivism, that thought which says "We are our brother's keepers." I suppose one reason for the novel's continued popularity is that most readers are far too intelligent to be comforted by other kinds of books whose authors want them to think they are profound because they are difficult to grasp. Zservedah once called "clear prose the conceptual tool of conservativism." Readers are probably tired of being asked to find beauty in the Emperor's clothes, in works of art which are ugly, and in books which are pessimistic. Atlas Shrugged is unabashedly lucid and candid; it is refreshing to find such confident and clear writing in this age of self-doubt, relativism, and academic obscurity. You will be a richer person for having read it. Are some of Rand's adherents sycophantic? Certainly. Yet if her philosophy were the kind of "cheap trash" critics claim it to be, why the vehemence of her opposition?
Rating: 
Summary: truer today than when written
Review: Everyone having witnessed the social experiment, and the tinkering of human tendencies will approve of the premise of this novel. Already we see the negative effects of the Great Society; namely, the rise of expectations among those unable or unwilling to improve their own existence for themselves. This attitude of deserved entitlements, irrelavant of merit, has reduced the human spirit and greatly increased the power of government. One reader questioned how incompetance might attain power. Look no farther than Washington, the Santa Claus of the Western Hemisphere. Government would love to enhance its power through the public's insecurities. Congress tells us what to eat, how to raise our children, which books are agreeable. For some, adherence to these standards frees oneselve from blame. Remember the zombies the former Soviet Union produced. Has no one understood the signifance of that government's collaspe, or the present restrictions with the People's Republic of China? No country with oppressive social and economic programming will ever become a world power. The militaristic stance displayed is more suited toward internal policies fueled by paranoia. The current concerns the US government purports to address only enhances the gross authority it already possesses. Does anyone really believe that tobacco companies should pay for the ill effects of that product which adults choose to indulge. Where does this money really go? Should auto companies be made to pay for injuries incurred by neglect drivers? Should the government deceide whom may purchase a vehicle? If the government had its way, we would all work for it, and in some ways, we do. Ms Ryan today provokes many thoughts on these subjects: the growth of government, the diminution of human capability, the extinction of individualism. If the government was so concerned for the masses, if Congress wished to redress the wrongs of big companies, they should begin with oil prices. Read the book.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutly the Best book every written.
Review: This is absolutly the best book every written. Even the more so for me because most of the ideas she covered, I had already figured out to a certian extent. I liken it to haveing several pillars of knowledge, like pillers of a bridge spanning the gap of a river. This book not only made the connection between my pillars of knowledge but built an entire superstructure above that I would have never figured out in my lifetime. To the people who gave this book a review of any less than 5 stars, I can without question say You just did not understand, or just did not read it.
Rating:
Summary: ASTONISHINGLY ON TARGET, MORE SO THAN EVER
Review: I have read this book perhaps ten times. I believe that after the current administration's attempts to take over all successful industries in this country, this book is more relevant than ever. Ayn Rand would have a stroke were she here today. I believe that she would probably be on "Crossfire" or "Hannity and Colmes" every other night. Anyone who believes that going after "BIG" tobacco, oil, software, (insert a "BIG" successful industry here) is in the public's interest or even ethical must read this book. Whether they agree with all of Rand's philosophy (I don't), it will depict the absolutely corrupt, unethical, and totalitarian agendas in ways nobody else can. I strongly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Heavy Handed
Review: I couldn't put this book down because I was determined to prevail through 1050 pages of tedious and repetitive preaching. This book is just way too long, the characters are distinctly unlikeable, and the plot is ridiculous. However, it did cause me to spend a good deal of time thinking about the message and it was a constructive read in that aspect. If you're looking for a thought provoking book, this is one....just don't expect to enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Ayn Is Right
Review: They used to say that Rush is right, but now it is Ayn that is right. She is the greatest author that I have ever read. She manages to put into fiction a complex and amazing philosphy that all people should follow.
Rating:
Summary: Be brave
Review: "Atlas Shrugged" is a trap, designed to capture your attention and expose your deepest convictions to the open air for a while before letting you go. Whether you walk away with your head held high or stumbling and reeling is entirely up to you. Despite the final enormity of the novel's message it begins subtly enough, introducing Rand's Objectivist philosophy almost beneath levels of detection, starting with a premise you can understand: existence exists. If you believe that, as the plot continues so does the lesson: then you must accept this, which leads to this, and to this. The beauty of "Atlas Shrugged" is how well its message is woven into a fascinating plot that uses characters and their conflicts as its examples. Its power lies not in heavy-handed preaching you can ignore at will, but in the gradual production of a ladder with every rung identified and labeled, challenging you to find the flaw on in its construction on your way up. Some readers think they find it. Many don't, but remain stubbornly convinced it is there. Others' lives, mine included, have changed forever when the conclusions reached at the top of that ladder prove inescapable. Face this challenge with pride and reach your own.
Rating: 
Summary: DIME STORE NOVEL AT TIMES
Review: Heros, villians, the true capitalist Rand despite her repetition is an intelligent writer who makes you think! The book is just too long. To many subplots and characters that don't ring true with the exception of Dagney Taggart.
Rating:
Summary: Atlas Shrugged
Review: For anyone who believes in socialism, it's of utmost importance to read this book. I was a socialist until Rand helped me to see the light. The book is not only a philosophical masterpiece, but it's so fabulously written that you'll never want to put it down. Everyone should read this book!
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