Atlas Shrugged

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Summary: A Lesson Plan for Anti-communists/socialists
Review: I was amazed by how prophetic Miss Rand was with this book. It was as if she saw the future in her crystal ball. She clearly saw the contempt for the individual that the socialist movement in America has. Many of the themes she explored have come true in the last quarter of this century. She accurately portrayed the nanny-state mentality and the arrogance those on the left display. The characters were, at times, wooden and one dimensional but the point was made. Sometimes in this life things really are black and white and not a million shades of gray. My only gripe was the overly long-winded speech by the John Galt character near the end of the book. It made the mythic icon she built him up to be seem rather nasty and ill-tempered and sort of a disappointment for me. I would hope that a new reader of this fine work would be open minded and see the parallels in our modern world to the dissmal world the welfare pimps in this book wrought on America and the world.

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Summary: Exaltation at its best
Review: "Who is John Galt?" If your answer to that question is anything but yourself, you need to find out who is He? John Galt is the eternal 'I' within you. He is the spirit of enterprise, the spirit of life, the light of the day & the soul of exaltation. This book allows you to find your 'I' within you. It brings you a story of men and women (very real ones unlike the Howard Roark of Ayn Rand's Fountainhead who an entire generation believed too idealistic to exist - these men and women do and have weaker and darker sides too) who dared to follow the most righteous path that the freedom within them dictated, even when the entire world required them to live otherwise. This is a story of the handful of achievers of this world who decide to stop living their lives for the benefit of others who exist without adding any value to this world. They agree to continue creating value, but to disallow any of it to the undeserving, completely. The story is of the philosophy of what ought to be and the creation of that world, even if only in fiction. The book has for ages remained a guidepost to the best of mankind. Review by Parth Sarwate

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Summary: The freedom to use your brain
Review: Dear fellow readers (past, present and future), it's funny that most 5 star ratings talk about personnel positive experiences whilst the 1 stars usually blame others for being naive or stupid - now, what is this telling us? 1. My emotional reaction was very much like the one described by sheryle on Sep.14 - I felt like finally having found an intellectual home, like having my personal thoughts and feelings described in the best possible way. 2. Interestingly most reviews are from the US, the country that was built on principles very close to the principles of the heroes in Atlas Shrugged. Remember, very few constitutions grant a right to the pursuit of happiness. This is the fundamental reason why the US is where it is today. In Europe it is almost impossible to buy Ayn Rands books, whilst in the US she is a household name. Look at some recent happenings in Europe: Miners in Romania go on strike for better living conditions; France is limiting weekly work hours by law (and enforces compliance with police) to create more jobs; Germany is denying the right to open your store whenever you want and how long you want to protect 'the holy Sunday'. The list could go on and on, just open the newspaper. Could there be a connection? 3. No matter how you rate the book - for me it was, is and probably will be forever the most important book of my life - Ayn Rand achieves two wonderful things. First, it's one of the rare and probably best examples of philosophy written in plain common language. Clear ideas clearly and understandably expressed and not hidden behind an artificial scientific code. This finally takes philosophy out of the intellectual debate and makes it conceivable (and entertaining) for everyone. Second, and even more important, the book demonstrates the influence of philosophical ideas and principles on society and on personal everyday life. Therefore, no matter if you agree or disagree with the principles, if you like or dislike the plot and the characters, the book gets you thinking. The book does not request blind acceptance. Indeed, I think this would be dead against the key principles of it. Instead, it gives you one set of principles and then urges you to use your brain to come to your own conclusions. This is more than most books can claim. I would be happy to get direct responses on this subject.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Novel
Review: I'm glad to see the looters are a distinct minority among these reviewers. This is the best defense I have ever read of the capitalist vs. the communist, the competent vs. the incompetent and the producer vs. the parasite. It is beautifully written, weaving the philosophy around an interesting and original plot. While Rand uses caricatures of good and evil to make many of her points, the essence of her characters do exist in the real world. For those of you who follow the political debate in this country, its not hard to spot the Wesley Mouchs, the Dr. Pritchetts and the James Taggerts. Listen to Bill and Hill a little more closely for two of the primary examples.

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Summary: universal and transending all barriers of time......
Review: the book was written all those years ago but it is so true even today. I just wish there was some John Galt in the present era who could come to our rescue.

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Summary: philosophically intense, intellectually stimulating!
Review: No book has touched my soul like the way "Atlas Shrugged" did. As I traveled back in time, I realized that my innermost and most-kept philosophy has been put into words by Ayn Rand years before I was even born and she couldn't have put it more aptly. Moreover, this is the only book which has made me assess my own philosophy and principles and I discovered that somewhere, somehow, I was more like the character of James Taggart, emotional and sentimental. But as I plunged deeper into understanding myself I realized that I am Hank Rearden in many ways. I have actually been in many, similar situations with Mr. Rearden. Yes, this book has awakened me.

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Summary: This book is awesome! :-)
Review: I read this book during my freshman year of college, and while many of the things that I also read taught me, this book inspired me. I loved it and would reccommend it to anyone.

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Summary: The World and Man as they should be
Review: Ayn Rand wrote a masterpiece advocating reason above emotion, logic above whim, production above laziness, achievement above free handouts/welfare statism, lassiez-faire above illegal regulation/taxation, free trade above force, the rights of the individual above socialism/"the greater good", Capitalism above collectivism and dictatorship. Man is capable of great progress if we are free to produce, keep what we produce and benefit from what we produce. America was built on these principles and it became the greatest nation ever seen on the planet. Please read this book if you care for yourself, the ones you love and freedom. Thank you.

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Summary: Simply timeless philosophical insight!!!!
Review: I found, find, and keep finding this book to be so incredibly timeless that I am forced to reread it every year. Insights into the personalities of various present day political figures can still be found. Compare Franciscos explanation of his personal conduct to Hank Reardon, to the present day behavior of the Ultimate Looter that inhabits our White House. While her philosophies are not perfect, I am yet to read anyones that is, they are right on when it comes to everyones responsibility to themselves. This is one of the most meaningful books that I have ever read, and it has had more impact on the way that I think than any other nonreligious book that I have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: it is just a novel
Review: It was one of the most absorbing books I have ever read (this is the only criteria I use in 'rating' fiction). It was too long, and some (not all as some people claim) of the characters were two dimensonial, but it was still a great book. It has not and will not change my life. I am not, and do not wish to be, a member of any of any Objectivest cult. I fell it necessary to make these personal statements because many of the reviews of this book seem to be philisophically based. The 1 Star ratings in particular seem to be motivated by factors having nothing to do with literary merit.