Atlas Shrugged

Rating:
Summary: Fiction That Became Fact
Review: You don't have to agree with every aspect of Rand's thinking to appreciate this masterpiece of a book. The format and theme (about entrepreneurs going on strike and bringing the economy to a dead halt) were intended only to get certain ideas across; but in the case of Communism, to everyone's surprise, this actually came true, without an organized "strike."

I was reading a book about Marx recently that pointed out a glaring omission from his theory, namely the crucial role of the entrepreneur in economic growth. The computer industry amply illustrates this: Hewlett & Packard; the "two Steves" of Apple Computer; Bill Gates; and many others. Communism fell precisely because it lacked this vital input (except, of course, in the black market).

One other noteworthy thing about ATLAS SHRUGGED that Rand said without actually saying it: the opposition to capitalism does not come only from bureaucrats. A good part of it comes from the guilt-ridden children of the capitalists themselves, who can't live with the fact that they have so much inherited (and therefore unearned) wealth, so they seek to atone by embracing ideologies that promise economic redistribution. You might call this moral money-laundering. It was no coincidence that ALL THREE of Old Man Starnes' children (the 20th Century Motor Co.) were socialists. Rand must have noticed this sort of thing in real life, or she would not have written it that way. And real life is chock-full of such examples, like multimillionaire Ted Turner, who recently admitted to being "a socialist at heart" (he inherited his family's business at the age of 24).

There's a good book on the Amazon site (GUILT, BLAME, AND POLITICS) that explores precisely this phenomenon--the guilt of the affluent and the educated leading to a predilection for socialism and Marxism.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is a fantastic read. Once you get through the first 100 pages you wont be able to put it down. A frightening vision that is now taking place in the US

Rating:
Summary: Atlas Shrugged
Review: This is a must for anyone with a brain

Rating:
Summary: Truly a modern classic
Review: I shudder when I read reviews of Atlas Shrugged that call it "drivel." My reaction is such because it is precisely this type of person Rand is warning aginst in her epic masterpiece. The virtue of selfishness has never been put forth in such a fantastic manner as it is in this book. I weep for anyone who reads it and is not struck by the beauty of Rand's words and ideals.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Work of Art
Review: I started reading Atlas Shrugged in the 1970's and have reread it at least once every year. Ayn Rand's works have touched me very deeply and provided an expression of my inner feelings and thoughts. I see her as the greatest writer of all time. She describes the essence of humanity. Atlas Shrugged helped me to understand how popular beliefs have affected our society and caused such extreme damage. If you are a productive person, you can't help but recognize how she desribes the effects socialism has had on our society. This is a book that everyone should read sometime in their lives so that they may view the world from a different perspective. If you are not a producer in society, you will most likely reject the beliefs of Ayn Rands works, but anyone who is a producer will see the truth of what she states. I have found it necessary to read this book reguarly to refresh my commitment and to maintain perspective on my life goals. As a child growing up in communist Russia, Ayn Rand saw first hand the destruction of a people and society when they are forced to work for the collective and not permitted to work freely for themselves. I hope you will take the time to explore this great work of art. I think that you will find as I did, that everytime I read it, I gain a deeper understanding of her message. I agree with a quote from the book, "There is no substitute for competence."

Rating:
Summary: must read and re-read
Review: It is a book with impact. A vision created that can keep one going for the rest of their lives.

Rating:
Summary: Just something to consider...
Review: The review of [e-mail] from Estonia mirrors my own in many ways, but I wish to add another note if I may.

Ayn Rand published Atlas Struggled after her much beloved husband passed away; she was admittedly depressed at the time and perhaps (in my humble opinion) this added to the depressive nature of this work. Of course this is only speculative, but I didn't find her previous writings to be of such a deep-vained negative nature. Hey, we are only human; brilliantly talented philosophers included. Overall, I still believe that she was one of the most important authors of this century and it's worth reading her works.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite book of all time.
Review: OK. The story goes like this:

There are a whole bunch of people who are angry at the business owners. These angry people include politicians, people in the media, teachers, workers, and lots of other people. The message that these angry people have for the business owners is this: "We don't like you. We don't like what you do to us. You exploit us. You take advantage of us. You profit at our expense."

The politicians respond to this by passing laws and regulations to punish the business owners.

The angry people continue on with their message to the business owners. "You exploit us. You take advantage of us. You profit at our expense."

The politicians pass more government regulations. This makes it harder for the business owners to operate their businesses.

Meanwhile, the angry people continue on with their message to the business owners. "You exploit us. You take advantage of us. You profit at our expense."

The politicians continue to pass more and more regulations which make it harder and harder for the business owners to operate their businesses.

Meanwhile, the angry people continue on with their complaints to the business owners. "You exploit us. You take advantage of us. You profit at our expense."

The politicians pass even more laws to punish the business owners. The business owners get more and more frustrated.

Finally, the business owners decide that they can't take it anymore. So, they decide to "disappear" from the rest of society. Their message to the rest of the world is this: "We hear you. We hear your complaints. We understand exactly what you are saying. From now on, we will give you exactly what you want. From now on, we will give you exactly what you asked for. From now on, we will no longer exploit you. From now on, we will no longer take advantage of you. From now on, we will no longer profit at your expense. We will no longer do any of these things to you. Do not try to find us. Do not try to talk us into coming back. We are giving you exactly what you wanted. We will no longer be involved in your life. We are giving you exactly what you asked for. Now you will have to deal with it."

Now that all of the business owners have "disappeared" from society, any logical person should be able to figure out what happens next.

Rating:
Summary: Yawn...
Review: I read this book as an adolescent, and I thought it was adolescent even then. I've reread it recently in the hopes that I could find something nice to say when acquaintances mention fervently that this is their favorite book ever. Sigh. I can only pat myself on the back for being such a smart kid... This is the kind of book that helps you define those who are 'your kind' of people, and who aren't. Do you like mayonnaise, or Miracle Whip? Do you think Atlas Shrugged is the Best Book Ever, or Pure Drivel? Count me in with the mayonnaise eating, Pure Drivel crowd. Bleahhh!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: Undoubtably the most profound book written, and rationally the most sane