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The astounding story of a man that said that he would stop the motor of the world—and did. Tremendous in scope, breathtaking in its suspense, Atlas Shrugged is unlike any other book you have ever read.

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Next time you hear the word "bailout" in the news...

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....reach for a copy of this book. I decided to buy a copy of this book from Amazon after seeing it mentioned on several blogs I read. After having a tough time starting to read it - the initial chapters set the stage and introduce the characters, but are a bit dry - I was not able to put it down. Simply put, this book continues to be printed - and sold - because it is nothing short of brilliant. Rather than attempt to explain the themes of the book (these can be easily found by Googling "Atlas Shrugged") I will instead tell you that the book is probably one everyone living in a capitalistic society should read - both as affirmation of the power of capitalism and its embrace of the power of the individual, and as a warning of where we *will* be headed if we ever lose the power of reason. Next time you have a question you can't readily answer - for instance, why so many businesses that should be allowed to fail are instead being bailed out by our present government - just ask yourself, "Who is John Galt?".

A lesson for us all...

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When Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged first came out in the late 50s it was extremely popular. The main character, John Galt, and his beliefs, or Rand's if you will, created a ground-swell of followers. Enough so that there were bumper stickers saying "Who Is John Galt?" To put it simply, this fast-reading, enjoyable novel proposes what can happen when the powerful, "producers/movers" of society, decide to forego their efforts and drop out, leaving the economy in the hands of the "takers/slackers." This is an iconic publication, and possibly more important in this century than the last.

Rand goes to extremes so that we don't have to

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`Atlas Shrugged' follows the lives of great Americans as their country deteriorates from a capitalist democracy into a socialist communism. It is not a joy ride. In fact, it is a grueling, plodding process, filled with convolutions, and ultimately ending in a chaotic mess. But the story shows us how such a disaster might occur and thus grants us a tool for avoiding it. Meanwhile, the book plunges headfirst into man's all-time greatest political, cultural, and spiritual challenges, offering a fascinating look at each if not quite resolving any of them. The central challenge focuses on where virtue is lodged. Is it in the Self or in Society as a whole? It is a staggering question when one really thinks about it and Rand sets up scenario after scenario to help us think about it, pitting a troop of protagonists for the Self against an army of antagonists for the Society. Of course, Rand has reached her conclusion before we sink our teeth into the question. Those for the Self are confident, logical, productive, and industrious while those for Society are pathetic, lazy, tetchy, and smarmy. There really is no question about which is right when you look at it through these characters and so there really is no conflict. This is unfortunate because people on both sides have good, well-founded arguments. Simply writing off all socialists as crass nincompoops may feel right to the capitalist, but it does nothing to resolve the differences between the two sides and certainly doesn't help the case for self-interested industrialism. Nor can one say that all capitalists have the virtuous motives that Dagny and Rearden maintain. There are those who support the free market and industrialism for the wrong reasons, and neglecting that fact limits the effectiveness of the argument. In the end, a conflict between two reasonable foes is much more entertaining than a conflict between a master and a fool anyway. Rand sees things characteristically in black and white; there are no shades of gray. At least, the grays that do pop up in this book are cut down by one of the two sides of the conflict. Such absoluteness defies modern standards of literature and many a grain of salt must be consumed while reading `Atlas'. Granting it is in the Classical style, one can really enjoy the book for what it is. And it is Classical in every sense of the word. The story is heroic--you can take your pick among her many heroes and heroines although only one stands out as the flawless kind. Like a good Homeric epic, the narrative is long-winded and repetitive. One walks away with useful if silly clichés--`who is John Galt?', `looters', `A is A'. Actions are deliberate and spelled out for the reader and every action is related to the lesson being told with nothing irrelevant coming into view. And finally, the characters are very one-dimensional with no development or change whatever. These are charming aspects that can be appreciated by those willing. Less forgivable are the inconsistencies that arise in the philosophy. Rand is making a case for self-interest, but throughout the book one will find instances where the protagonists seek validation from others, often to the deprecation of the self. The most notable example of this is in the romantic relationships. The two love each other and will do anything for the other person even if that means becoming vulgar animals and sacrificing the integrity of one's work. The couple receives selfish pleasure from the affair, but it comes at the expense of self-dignity. Rand eliminates the only true way to resolve this inconsistency (is it a contradiction?) by rejecting the ultimate reason for romantic relationships: procreation and raising a family (completely absent from the book). This is the inevitable consequence of fusing self-interest with atheism. When there is nothing to strive for but material gain, the world necessarily becomes a contradiction. One fights the immoral with immorality and gains the respect of others by denigrating them. The latter is actually a central theme in `Atlas'. Indeed, the protagonists who despise the masses require their patronage to be successful. Industry in general is worth-while only if there are other people willing to buy the product and enough people to make it useful. Even when it is not explicit, the need for validation is present. The driving force of the book, the strike, is designed to force other people to behave properly so that the protagonists can succeed. John Galt's speech is accusatory and insulting, underscoring the negative tone of the book. His purpose (as is Rand's) is to crush the looting society, which is rational because of the burden it places on the producers. But in the end, that purpose relies on there to be a society to crush--it relies on other people. By the time Rand endorses coercion in the most direct manner (use of guns and killing) toward the end of the book, thus completely contradicting her libertarian argument, the reader is willing to give up on her completely. But the extremes to which she takes her story should not undermine the insight she lends on man's great challenges. Indeed, it is her willingness to identify the faults in society and rhetorically crush them that frees us to be constructive and wholly creative. Despite its major flaws, `Atlas Shrugged' is possibly the only fictional work that addresses the kind of challenges it does. You will need to work for this book, but it will be worth it. Read it and discuss as they might have done in Aristotle's day.

This item is delectable	Customer Rating:
"Atlas shrugged" is second to nothing!You cannot criticize it, you cannot find anything wrong about it.....You just sit down and read it. You will see one and the same world in different ways.This is Ayn Rand's masterpiece!

One of the finest books written in the modern era.	Customer Rating:
Should be read by every one. I first read it as a teenager and thought it was THE BOOK to end all books. After 8 more readings and 7 decades of life, this is still an excellent read. The book should be thought of as a belief process that should be balanced with the pragmatism of daily life.