Rating: 
Summary: My inner mind in 1075 pages
Review: No other book that I have read has given me such insight into myself. Ayn Rand managed to articulate my thought processes almost 20 years before I was born. I am not a literature expert by any means, but from a purely philosophical standpoint, this book is amazing. The ideas of Objectivism is exactly what America was based on. Atlas Shrugged is a must read for every American.
Rating:
Summary: $$$$$$$$$$
Review: The brilliance in Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged is twofold: her philosophy and the force of her words. Atlas Shrugged depicts the downward spiral in which a nation spins when it forgets the value of individual ruggedness. Human nature cannot hide from Rand's critical eye as the reader is presented with extremes in characters. Atlas Shrugged is best read with pen, paper, time, and the courage to analyze your own beliefs and motivations.
Rating:
Summary: grossly underrated by academia
Review: Many of these reviews have said that this book is simplistic. Others I have read in other contexts say that Rand's philosophy "has holes big enough to drive a car through." Atlas Shrugged has so many levels of complexity that I can only conclude that these people have 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 suspence is sometimes unbearable. Some passages will make you stop to 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 so so concisely that I had missed the full meaning of what she was writing. Her philosophy is heirarchical; all is based on previous conclusions, and there are many, many levels where you can get lost. It's like math, where you can't learn calculus before algebra. If you didn't catch one part of it, or simply overlooked it, you had better go back or you'll be lost. 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: This is not literature. This is thin propaganda.
Review: Atlas shrugged and I yawned. I'm Bland aka Ayn Rand was no artist. Her characters were one-dimensional caricatures that took turns reciting her beliefs. I've seen better development in Saturday morning cartoons. The outright *simplicity* is what makes this book so boring. And what makes it condescending is the fact that Bland/Rand congratulates herself for stating the obvious. Bland/Rand was not a philosopher. She was simply a lady out to make an easy buck. She was not a novelist either. In fact, her name was actually laughed out of a university literature class I once took. This is a wonderful book if you're just learning how to read. Give it five stars if you don't know any better!
Rating: 
Summary: Important but flawed fable
Review: The book succeeds in spite of its many failures. It does make you rethink those beliefs and notions that you hold dear, even if the result is only to solidify them. It is a big book, in the sense of ideas and philosophy, and it can't be ignored. Personally, I find myself agreeing with much of what Rand has written and I find most of her arguments cogent (if overlong and melodramatically posited). However, I also find her plot devices and writing style dull and long-winded at best, and infuriating at worst. Also, the simplicity of her philosophical arena -- the fight between her version of good and evil -- is annoying and rather childish. It seems strange that such an important philosophical exercise should be implemented in what is really, at the heart of it, an amateurish, simplistic tale. So, a fable, and a poorly written one at that. But, an important fable whose central ideas constitute much, much more than the sum of the parts. Utterly worthwhile, IF the reader is prepared to think about her words and measure them against reality instead of just incorporating them into his ideology as a useful weapon in arguments of self-interest/selfishness.
Rating:
Summary: Phenomenally written; misses the point
Review: Ayn Rand is a phenomenal writer; i find this book riveting ever time i read it (just finished it for the third time). and she has a lot of good points. but... she misses the point. She completely doesn't understand emotions, love, compassion, or the idea that serving others can be in and of itself rewarding. As a Christian, I find some points of Objectivism repulsive; but for the most part, it was so close to Christianity that it's astounding. I don't think Rand ever gave Christianity a chance; she wouldn't have called us 'mystics' if she had. I think everyone should read this book; but forget the grain of salt, better keep a container handy. I see Rand's philosophy as getting a piece of the pie in that it is so correct in so many ways, but it misses the point of why and exactly how to serve one's self-interests. Her philosophy is a circle out of the complete sphere. So - read the book, but don't just take her word on it. Oh - and, despite what she says, not all good people have angular faces and were born perfect.
Rating:
Summary: Above all, thought-provoking
Review: I picked it up this summer while in Europe. It sparked thoughts of my career, life, and most of all what I wanted out of both. I don't totally embrace Rand's philosophy but her ability to make me question my own philosophy is powerful. Her style of writing, independent of her message is superior. She creates the emotional atmosphere of the scene and puts it in your heart and head.
Rating:
Summary: No Other Book Has Influenced Me So Much
Review: Ayn Rand may not have had basic courses in business or economics. And if she had, the stuff would be outdated in today's world. I first read The Fountainhead, then Atlas Shrugged, 10 years ago. Shortly after that, I left a government job and started my own business. $5 million in annual revenues after three years, and the business is still doing fine. Atlas Shrugged is the most inspirational book I've ever read -- and I read it at least once a year. If it weren't for all the underlining and highlighting I've put into my copy (falling apart now), I'd buy a new one.
Rating:
Summary: All I'll say is...
Review: "... and traced out in space the sign of the dollar."
Rating: 
Summary: I have more important things in my life, do you?
Review: Sure, this book makes you think. And sure, it makes you look at life in a different way, but what was so wrong with the way we were looking at life before? Life is too short to spend philosophizing. Enjoy yourself, and enjoy others. You don't want to be lying on your death bed contemplating philosophical theories, do you? I, personally, would much rather be thinking about my family, my friends, and how I had enjoyed my life thusfar. I don't know about the rest of you, but I need something more concrete in my life than Ayn Rand's theory of Objectivism that she portrays in the excessively long novel of her life, ATLAS SHRUGGED.
| 
