Atlas Shrugged

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Summary: This is to address misconceptions of Objectivism....
Review: This review is not to defend this book; Atlas Shrugged is the best book I've ever read. Instead, this review is meant to counter some of the views expressed by some of you. Because I believe they are misconceived.

First, what I will concede: 1.) Ayn Rand was not the greatest writer of fiction. She was long-winded--sometimes dry.And her characters, although beautiful, are one-dimensional and unrealistic. That, of course, is the point. Rand was presenting an IDEAL. But her character's speeches (Galt's, Rearden's, Francisco's) are breath-taking and powerfully worded.

2.)Rand, herself, was not an Objectivist. She lived a contradiction, which don't exist. She allowed her "students" to follow her, which cannot exist in a philosophy based on individualism.

3. Rand did not always do a good job of explaining things. Why is selfishness moral? She does a good job of describing the value, but why does it necessarily branch from reason? She lets the reader assume conclusions and connections, which leads to the misconception and distortion of her ideas by people who claim to be Objectivists

4. Some misguided students of hers have been turned into sheep or disciples, and she did nothing to stop them. This is being perpetuated today by the Ayn Rand Institute.

5. I am an Objectivist.

These concessions now allow me to dispute some of your remarks. Objectivism does not say that one should not feel anything for others. Instead, the opposite is true. An Objectivist society would be one in which its members really love each other in a sort of way. Love their abilities and talents and their VALUE as humans. Rand has stated on numerous occassions that much can be gained by interactions with other people--i.e., in society (division of labor), in interpersonal relationships (worthy friendships based on value), in poltics (the foundation and advocation of individual rights). Rand's world is not one of indifference and coldness. It is one of mutual respect. Listen to the words of John Galt: "I swear--by my life and my love of it--that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine." That is a standard of mutual respect.

Secondly, the foundatation of her philosophy is largely Aristotelian, which is actually legitimate. And parts of her ethics are derived from or similar to other creditable philosophers, namely Aristotle, John Locke. Therefore, her ideas do carry some weight, and I've never understood why Objectivism is not taken seriously.

Objectivism works only if you uphold its values. Too many young Objectivists treat Rand's works like a Bible, they follow mindlessly. Or worse,they use Objectivism to justify narcissistic behavior, delusions of grandeur, anti-social behavior, and anarchism.

If you wish to read Rand correctly, please approach it with objectivity and a degree of judgment filtration. Do not take anything anyone says at face value (even Rand!). Evaluate it yourself. This goes for the dissenters as well. Rand is one of the most brilliant minds of the 20 century.

If you wish to discuss these issues further, please feel free to e-mail me.

Thank you,

and yours in reason,

Johnny

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Summary: cool bookness
Review: I like it cause Taylor Hanson likes it. It was writted good too

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Summary: Slow, but readable
Review: I've been reading this on and off for about six months. Very interesting - I especially like the character Hank Rearden. I agree with Ayn Rand about everything, except the egoist thing.

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Summary: ATLAS SHRUGGED
Review: WARNING: To anyone seeking to make money and be successful, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK! In Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand demonstrates her complete lack of knowledge of economics and business. It appears as if she never even took a high school level course on economics. She was not an executive; she was a fiction writer. Although she attempts to glorify capitalism, individualism, ambition, and hard work, she fails. Sure these qualities are worthy of celebration but to write about them in such a common, uncreative way will not make people agree with her ideas. Stylistically this book is on the literary level of a Danielle Steele novel. The language is flowery and wordy. Furthermore, her fanatical rants (such as John Galt's several page speech) sound like nazi propaganda speechs. Also to any girl who has any sense of self-respect, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. Rand's distorted views of "love" and "romance" are offensive and degrading to women. Please never let yourselves be treated like Dagny Taggart let men treat her. For those of you who really value success, individualism, and money I'd like to reccommend some books that might motivate and inspire you. Two very good fiction writers are Nietzsche and George Bernard Shaw. For non-fiction I'd reccommend The Prince by Machiavelli, The Autobiography of Bejamin Franklin, How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and The Myth of the Robber Barons by Burton W. Folsom, Jr. These are just a few that I've read that I think you may enjoy.

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Summary: Best book ever read
Review: Initially I tried to avoid this book because of its length and what I thought would read like the Bible. I finally said what the hell.

Profound. No more need be said.

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Summary: Provocative and mind-altering
Review: Atlas Shrugged challenges the way modern Americans and modern American society function; hence the excessively vitriolic responses in this review section. Readers are being jolted out of their comfort zones and being told to question the way they think. But the essence of Atlas Shrugged, and Ayn Rand's philosophy, is simple: the book declares that an individual has no obligation to anyone or anything else - not to society or to other individuals. The reason so many people react so harshly to Atlas Shrugged is that they demand that others feel obligated toward them. They have grown comfortable in the quasi-socialism of American society, where each citizen is expected to take care of everyone else. And the essential message of the book is positive: Ayn Rand is glorifying the productive capabilities of man. How can that be a negative thing? Why does that offend so many people? It's equally important to note that most readers who enjoy Atlas Shrugged DO NOT blindly accept everything and anything that the book and Ayn Rand have to say. Despite Rand's own assertions that one must accept everything or nothing of her philosophy, intelligent readers today can sift through the minor inconsistencies and fallacies of Objectivism to glean the positive, life-affirming aspects of the book as a whole. The inability of those who claim to dislike the book to intelligently discuss its merits is the same ignorance that afflicts modern academia. Where is Ayn Rand in the universities today? Nowhere - professors know that her philosophy refutes everything they try to teach, and they're scared to address it because they don't know how to refute it. If Rand's philosophy were so easily discarded, professors would have no hesitation to introduce it and identify its fallacies. And no one can claim that the philosophy doesn't warrant attention. The mere fact that it generates such heated responses from people on both sides clearly demonstrates its impact and the need to study and discuss it. If professors truly cared about opening students' minds, they would welcome the opportunity to address Ayn Rand's philosophy. They would learn that people DO endorse aspects of her philosophy, without blindly following everything she had to say.

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Summary: very schematic, naive, doctrinaire and...boring book
Review: I started to read it, and dropped it after a few hundred pages, like many other readers. This is just a cold war period novel describing the world in black and white tones, without an ounce of humor or poetry, very reminiscent of socialist realism ! If it is the summit of 20th century american literature, I am very curious to know what will be the next american literature masterpiece !

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Summary: Awesome! But let every objectivist admit, it's too long...
Review: I just finished Atlas Shrugged today. Wow, was that every a long read, and I mean long. I've read Fountainhead and own almost all of her works. She is an inspiration to the freemarketer and the person who craves justice in a putrid mess of a world. But I will admit some stuff to the people who hate this book. Ayn Rand isn't that great a literay novelist. While her books are inspirational and such, they are way too drawn out and half the book (at least) could have been cut out and nothing taken away from the book itself. She needed to listen to her editor a little more, although from her character of Howard Roard I doubt she ever did.... Oh well. Ayn socialist, I'd dare you to read it and see the bankrupting principles of your moral system. Oh and one last thing, I am one of those evil mystics she rants about- a Christian. While I struggle with my belief in God, I believe she was irrational for her disbelieve in God. Although it does sadden me that I will probably spend eternity in Heaven with Jerry Falwell, while Ayn Rand is frying in Hell, we can only hope she repented before death, but somehow I doubt it.

Mark Penner

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Summary: An uplifting portrayal of man as a heroic being
Review: This masterpiece is worth whatever the pricetag lists. It is a hymn to the potency and capability of man's mind. It is the glorification of man as a rational being. It is the concretization of the best possible to man.

In essence, the story takes the form the epic duel between good and evil. The thinkers and producers are demonized and plundered by the world which they work to sustain. They choose to assert themselves in a most unusual way -- by complying with the demands of their enemy in the only way they know how.

The reader will come away from this novel with a feeling of exaltation toward man, a sense of confidence in himself, and a benevolent outlook toward life in general.

Below I have included what I believe to be necessary background information.

Ayn Rand's purpose in writing was the portrayal of an ideal man -- man "as he might be, and ought to be." In order to do this, she had to create a new philosophy, as she was in disagreement with most existing ideas. Thus, her philosophy, Objectivism, was the means by which she was to achieve her end, namely, THE FOUNTAINHEAD and ATLAS SHRUGGED.

This is not a philosophic treatise, as some may lead you to believe. Philosophy is a big issue in this novel, though, for one reason: PHILOSOPHY IS A BIG ISSUE IN LIFE (THE ESSENTIAL ISSUE IN LIFE), WHETHER ONE CHOOSES TO RECOGNIZE THAT FACT OR NOT. Thus, philosophy is central to the portrayal of an ideal man -- how he thinks and acts, and why.

I would like to offer advise to the reader of ATLAS SHRUGGED: do no ignore the philosophy Miss Rand presents, but do not dwell on it. Again, this is not a philosophic treatise, it is a Romantic novel, and should be read as such.

For those who are quick to dismiss Objectivism as impractical or full of contradictions, I suggest that you study it more thoroughly... much more thoroughly.

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Summary: Second Most Read Author in America
Review: The number one most read book in the history of the United States is the Bible. Author: ???? The second most read author in the history of the United States is Ayn Rand. Hmmm...wonder why?

Her books and philosophy are here to stay, folks. The Economist listed the top ten American novels of the century by literary critics and by readers. The top ten critics' choices included no Ayn Rand books. The top ten readers's choices included: Atlas Shrugged, Fountainhead, We the Living, and Anthem.