Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Atlas Shrugged
Book Review: A Life Changer, or at Least a Perspective Changer
Summary: 5 Stars
While Ayn Rand presents what some might call a rather dismal way to view the interaction between people as well as human motivation, I find it is a very interesting read that unavoidably makes you reconsider many of the desicions you make on a daily basis-- whether you agree or not with her philosophy. If one is ever discouraged by the thickness of the novel all I can say is give it 50 pages; if you're not completly absorbed in the plot, stop reading because it can't be your cup of tea.Book Review: A Literary Monument
Summary: 5 Stars
Atlas Shrugged will most powerfully move you if you aren't afraid of being alive.Book Review: A Literary Treasure
Summary: 5 Stars
Ms. Rand has outdone herself in explaining the moral issues involved with pursuing one's interests in "Atlas Shrugged". This story has a futuristic setting like non seen in Orwell's "1984". The story focuses on Dagney Taggart, owner & operator of an expanding transcontinental railroad organization who's faced with the United States's economic deterioration.The underlying idea to the story is Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. She illustrates, through Taggart, Galt, etc., how one's self-interests are what make up the soul of the individual. Furthermore, she expresses to the readers how individuals are responsible for thier actions, and how we must fight to keep true to our ideologies, even if it means letting others suffer for thier wrong-doings.
Book Review: A MONUMENTAL WORK!!!!...that should have been shorter
Summary: 4 Stars
Ayn Rand has an interesting view of the world, and I think it is one worth sharing...I agree with some aspects of Objectivism, however, Ms. Rand seems to ignore some of the most basic variables in human existence (mainly limited resources, social solidarity, and environmental concerns)...however, her work is unique enough to be considered a "classic" and although she could have managed to get her point across in 1/4 of the book, I still think it is worth reading...Book Review: A MUST READ FOR ALL THOSE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS
Summary: 5 Stars
I've read Atlas Shrugged 8 times, starting in 1960 and each time I read it, I find another piece of the puzzle put in place. The plot is extremely exciting, making it difficult to put it down. How anyone can feel it is a boring plot is beyond my comprehension. I wanted to know what was going to transpire with every turn of the page. No one (not even the reviewers who hated the book) can deny that our society is deteriorating at a geometric speed, as was predicted by the events in Atlas Shrugged. Crime is rampant, education is in a mess, the welfare roles are forever increasing, while the IRS extorts our first 5 months of paycheck from us every year, the social security system (fraud that it is) will eventually ruin us all, racism is worse (not better), homelessness is epidemic, the problem of government waste has not been solved and our government-run railroad (Amtrak) is in big trouble. (All government-run transportation systems are not profitable and run at a huge loss) I could go on forever with a list of the problems facing this country, as predicted in Atlas Shrugged. There is no other explanation for such chaos other than the philosophy expressed by Ayn Rand. I have found that the main technique used by people who criticize Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged is to set up a straw man and then blast away at him. The most consistent criticism I have heard about Atlas Shrugged and Ayn Rand is that she is a Nazi. However, Ayn Rand emphasizes over and over again, that she advocates above all, the following idea: "no man or group has the right to initiate force (or fraud) against any other man or group". Nazism cannot exist without initiating force against others and socialism/communism cannot exist without initiating force AND fraud against others.Ayn Rand's detractors either misunderstand her philosophy or purposely criticize her for things she does not advocate. She also points out that there can be no consumption without production and therefore to punish the producers with high taxation, impossible-to-follow government regulations and general harassment can only harm everyone in the long run. The story is a grand attempt to neutralize the anti-capitalistic mentality that is being spread throughout our government school system and therefore pervades our nation. To feel disdain for the very hand that feeds you, for the goose that lays the golden egg, spells trouble with a capital T for such a society. The story also shows one of the primary laws of human action; namely that all actions have consequences (even inaction has consequences). The devastating consequences that occurs in Atlas Shrugged is not a figment of the author's imagination. She explicitly shows that contradictions do not exist in reality but they can exist in one's mind and that whenever you detect a contradiction in your thinking it means that an ERROR has been made. The very nature of the concept ERROR means that it requires correction to prevent an undesireable result. You cannot teach a child to be civilized while beating him to a pulp whenever he does something you dislike. You cannot climb that mountain by digging deeper into the earth. You cannot have prosperity without understanding the causes of prosperity. You will attain poverty by placing obstacles in the path of prosperity. Atlas Shrugged is the story of how society (via government), not only places those obstacles to prosperity, but continues to place more obstacles when the original obstacles fail. Rand is also frequently criticized by attacking her personally via the argumentum ad hominem. Although she had her failings psychologically and emotionally, so do we all. I suspect that Rand's attackers suffer from the psycho-epistemological problem of being one of the looters and coercers depicted in her stories. Atlas Shrugged is a story about the truth and the truth is that something cannot be gotten for nothing