Rating: 
Summary: A refined philosophy, but somewhat lacking in momentum
Review: Ayn Rand holds a special part in my heart, simply because "The Fountainhead" was the first book I read seriously. However, sentimental values aside, I still consider her to be great thinker, but as a writer, she is somewhat above average. If it was possible, I will give her three and a half stars, because her style isn't quite a four, but her thoughts are more refined in "Atlas Shrugged" than in "The Fountainhead." There is less confusion, but Rand muddles some of her points by over-pondering. It is ultimately a *study* of what she wants to convey to her readers (i.e., her beliefs), but in some cases, the readers are left to swim the myriads of suggestions and ideals of her own. It is as if she knows what she is talking about, but the readers have no idea and are left to piece the parts together.
I still consider this better than "The Fountainhead," simply because it is a better reflection of her philosophies. I do not agree with all of her ideals, but on a strictly objective level, I think this is her greatest book (other than her short stories, which hold their own... and perhaps her best written pieces). It's better than three stars, but not quite four stars. I kind of wish she wrote more essays than she did novels, because momentum and presentation is less important in essays.
I do recommend this book, however, just because it's a must-read.
Rating:
Summary: Let's look at this objectively
Review: This book is a philosophical novel. It has many flaws--not the least of which is John Galt's annoyingly redundant radio address towards the end.I will neither criticize Ms. Rand nor will I elevate her to a gilded pedestal. She had an interesting philosophy and the idea of selfishness as a virtue has some merit. Most rational decisions have some basis in selfishness. For all except life-and-death decisions to be anything else is basically to make those decisions random. Yikes! The novel is not terrible, but yes, it is redundant. And it does not take into account how the Objectivist society would handle parent/child relationships or people who are in some way sick or disabled. However, really look at what this book tells the individual--to make rational choices and to not rely on anyone else for success or happiness. Maybe objectivism wouldn't make a good society overall, but if every individual followed the spirit of objectivism--pride, rational thought, self-reliance--it would be a pretty good society. If nothing else, Jerry Springer would run out of show material. Objectivism does not condone selfishness to the point of [evilness] and ... scandals. That's forgetting a key aspect of Ms. Rand's philosophy which is to strive for success through being the best possible individual (obviously, this would not include stealing). Read the book, but accept it for what it shoud be...a good guide for how people should handle themselves but not for how we should all handle each other. Be self-reliant, but do not turn a cold heart to those who are not capable of being the same.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting philosophy, if you can bear the boring plot
Review: Well, this nice over-1000-page book gives a nice intro to Rand's philosophy of objectivism. There were times were I just wanted to put the book down, throw it across the room and never pick it up again. But I was intrigued, I kept reading and it was a nice way to see how it went.
I'm sure you've read the past reviews on what the plot is, so I won't retell what the plot is to you all, but the book just didn't get interesting until the last third of the book. There are many parts that are dry, repetitive, and sometimes pointless; but they all help out in some way to capture what Rand is trying to say. I would recommend this book if one has time and really wants to know what Rand is trying to say. If not, go for the cliff notes. They may not be as extensive, but hey, I think learning the philosophy is the point of the book, not the plot.
Rating: 
Summary: A Wake Up Call for the Nation
Review: Reviewer: erinritter from Amarillo, TX United States
While this book is often long and wordy, it should serve as a serious wake up call for the entire nation. With the current political climate that is threatening to take over our society, everyone should read this and see what would happen if the socialists, who call themselves democrats, were truly able to enact their master plan. Rand creates for the reader a world where innovation, determination and drive are punished because the people in power are unable or unwilling to use their minds to make a difference. This book clearly demonstrates what would happen if the entitlements the left so desires were to come to pass. I highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially those studing political science and journalism. It helped cement my belief that we cannot punish the innovators and those with drive for the benefit of those unwilling to work to make the world a better place.
Rating:
Summary: Please, Ayn! Repeat yourself! Beat us up!
Review: Rand's work suffers because she was so full of herself that she refused to let the publisher change a word. Bennet Cerf at Random House knew she was serious, and that they'd lose a ton of money if she took it to somebody else. This is a book badly in need of editing... after while nothing she or anyone says is a surprise. Her attitude that corporations should be free to do whatever they want as long as they make money is horrifying: witness Enron, Microsoft, Big Tobacco, the oil companies.
It took her four years to write John Galt's radio address. What a pity. Immediately seeing it for what it was, I just skipped it. She'd said it all before.
Rating:
Summary: Nobody's perfect
Review: I've read this book many times despite its obvious and serious flaws. That's because its good points outweigh the bad. I feel the same way about most of the Jacqueline Susan novels, particualarly Valley of the Dolls. Good points: A woman in charge, good at what she does. And still with time for three lovers! The BEST critique of socialism I have ever read (Jeff Allen's account of the factory). A compelling love affair. No, not the one between Dagny and any of her lovers but that between Francisco D'Anconia and Hank Rearden. An uncanny portrait of a country's infrastructure going to pieces - Eastern seaboard blackout anyone? Weak points: No kids, sick, old or disabled people to worry about. Long, long, LONG speeches from various characters that sound all alike. Character development not too important to author, obviously. No victims of capitalistic system - even guys put out of business by competition win out. No religious beliefs on either side - didn't she have the guts to rebut any such? Religion would have played an even greater part in national affairs when the book was written than now. Some day, just for fun, I might write an updated version of this book with Silicon Valley, Chinese imports and offshoring included. You can bet it will be a lot shorter but no sweeter.
Rating: 
Summary: Mr. President -- we've got a problem!
Review: As most of you who have read my reviews know, I am no intellectual. I'm just a dude with a big brain. With that said, read this review.
I read Rand because of its "reader's choice" number one spot in the top 100 list of all time. I thought, "Science fiction, AND on the top 100 list? I can't go wrong!"
Gag.
The book starts off okay. That's because you haven't heard the same thing over and over again. About half way through the book I was wondering when the aliens were going to show up -- either on the good guy's side or the bad guy's side. It didn't matter which side they showed upon IT WOULD HAVE HELPED MAKE SENSE of the odd way everyone in this book acts.
The mystery in the beginning of the book is decent. There are some moments when I enkjoyed the book. But--WHERE WAS THE PRESIDENT? She never once mentions a president who would be in somewhat charge of our nation! Especially in the 40's or 50's or 20's or whenever this book is supposed to happen. HERE IS MY BIGGEST TWO PROBLEMS WITH THIS BOOK.
1) The longest da mn diatribes you have ever read. One lasted for like FIFTY PAGES!! NO ONE talks this long and this thoughfilled. No one can hold that much philosophy in their heads and manage it so effortlessly!
2) The heroes of the book were basically a bunch of quitters. They all hid out until the end. When, if they saw what was going to happen before it happened, they could have gotten into a number of key political offices (apparently not the office of the president because there is no such animal in this story) and ran their enemies out. I mean, they are a bunch of smart guys. But no. Our heroes decide to go and hide out in the mountains. Wow, I'm impressed they gave up. They are my heroes. Why was this considered the best book of the past century?
Someone tell me please.
Rating: 
Summary: A Study of The Forced Unselfishness Doctrine
Review: Atlas Shrugged is the first novel to put forth the idea of withholding innovation and trade as a weapon of war against economic cannibalism. Goober-mentals beware---the crypto world is developing the same thing in realtime, but with an added touch: do an internet search on the most controversial article of all time--Jim Bell's Assassination Politics---and you'll see where mind+machine is headed with regard to the evils of the world. Atlas Shrugged has been documented by the Library of Congress and the New York Times as second only to the Bible in influence on the modern world of movers and shakers, and this was reported again recently in an article in USA Today, as 911 renewed interest in this epochal novel, even among the most powerful people in the world. With all it's faults, Atlas Shrugged continues to influence millions around the world. Many eastern Europeans, for example, even non-intellectual ones, have told me that "everyone" has read Atlas Shrugged. And it's quickly spreading throughout Asia. Good for them. May it haunt and undermine the sacrificialists forever. If you want proof that Rand was right, just force one person to benefit some other person for the rest of their life. The modern world of forced wealth redistribution is like Rand said: a formula for permanent universal hatred and misery. Lazy thinkers will react in typical knee-jerk fashion by stereotyping rational self-interest as necessarily non-circumspect and grasping, but then they too have a self-interest in promoting such false notions---a blunted, irrational, and desparate self-interest of course. For those who will not wade through this rough diamond of a novel, I would strongly recommend Harry Browne's How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World instead. It's a rapid-fire self-help handbook to Rand's central themes of aware, circumspect individualism without getting bogged down in the political fundamentalism of the left, right, and libertarian types who try to change the world through that futile wheelspinning called politics---or gooberment. But I must admit that a new novel is needed to replace Atlas Shrugged. It should be half the length (or less), believable, philosophically clever, streetwise, discursively complete---but without long-winded digressions and speeches. Although the dialogues are dated in Atlas Shrugged, it thoroughly exposes the formulaic nature of collectivist propaganda, as well as it's consequences for human incentive in general society. Nature abhores a vacuum, and I hope a new novelist will do the same thing using contemporary rhetorical tactics but without the problems pointed out by today's social fundamentalists of anyone-but-YOU forced altruism. Here's to you, Ayn Rand. "She smiled her last smile at so much that had been possible."
--last line of Rand's We The Living
Rating: 
Summary: This book = piece of poop
Review: This, and all Ayn Rand books are popular only because she was from communist Russia and they promote capitalism, it has nothing to do with good writing skills. As for the views on Capitalism...They are very stupid. Capitalism is a system which is on the road to an eventual doom regardless of how it's been doing the last century. Marx claimed that only a nation which is fully and totaly capitalist to it's maximum degree can truely push people over the edge to communism, and that will be America 50 to 200 years from now. It's already begun, with the corporations having sunk thier teeth into the white house and forcing us to have the president they want in office, to go war for financial gain, and neglecting the peoples interests (like having our electricty work). But I'm not cheering communism, I'm putting down capitalism and Ayn Rands points of view...How can someone possibly look you in the eye and say J.Lo (who recently spent over $20,000 to have her hair done) earned all her money through talent and hard work? What about the same as a busboy running around sweating nervously cleaning up garbage from your plate at a restaurant and making $20,000 a year? Anyone who tells you there is no class war is living with thier head up thier crack. I do not recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Effects are still rippling
Review: Pundits have stated that ATLAS SHRUGGED is the magnum opus of Rand's literary output yet it is not so nearly approachable as is, say, THE FOUNTAINHEAD or WE THE LIVING. It's importance though lies far beyond its literary value and that is precisely the reason for the still-ferocious battles over this work. It has had a profound influence on the American scene - one that is continually undervalued due to the diametrically opposed views of the intellectual and academic elite that set our cultural norms. I'll make two admissions - one, I loved the story and the book for its literary worth and two, I did not finish the SPEECH. It would have been helpful if Rand had been more open to the idea of editing and pared back both the speech and some of the many redundancies one finds. That aside, one is astonished at the originality of the seminal idea - that people of ability should stop apologizing for both it and the material goods that ability engenders. If there is one point the book makes with perfect clarity it is a clear explicatation of who depends upon whom. The intellectual earthquakes triggered by this book can be seen in the Libertarian Party, the birth of mainstream magazines as REASON, the acceptability to admire the one system that has provided better than any other (capitalism), privitization and deregulation and the ascendancy of Greenspan, a Rand disciple, and monetary policy. These are all enormous shifts in thinking from what was the norm in the fifties and sixties. As in the Fountainhead, the hero remains shadowy, more an idea than a person. Just as the FOUNTAINHEAD was the story of Dominique and Wynand, ATLAS SHRUGGED is the story of Dagny and Reardon. The rise and fall of the industrialist alson with his affair and love of his life is the central driving force of the book. I would have loved to have seen this made into a movie or better - television series over several nights - but now think it would have been impossible to faithfully present the action in the same spirit as the book. Let the story stay as it was meant to stay - it is more refreshing that way.
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