Atlas Shrugged (Centennial Edition) by Ayn Rand
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Book Reviews of Atlas Shrugged (Centennial Edition)
Book Review: Solla Sollew
Summary: 5 Stars
Wanna hear my favorite Chuck Berry story?
Later.
I appreciate the delicious irony of me, former Barry Stoller, reading and appreciating Atlas Shrugged. It was I ~ card-carrying communist, Leninist debater from McSpotlight, publisher of ProletarianNews and author of "Objectivism For Dummies" ~ who espoused behaviorism, egalitarianism and socialism so fervidly for so many years. Well, I sure got what I deserved when I finally arrived at Twin Oaks: proof in real time that socialism don't work. Why work when there's so little incentive? Overtime, overquota? Not worth a red cent. Excellence in craftsmanship? Same value as calling in sick. Leadership abilities? Worth less than seducing hippie chicks. Delicious how bad I wanted this fate. Debtor's prison. The adversary she found herself forced to fight was not worth matching or beating; it was not a superior ability which she would have found honor in challenging; it was ineptitude ~ a gray spread of cotton that seemed soft and shapeless, that could offer no resistance to anything or anybody, yet managed to be a barrier in her way. Utopia!
The coolest trick is Rand writes her stuff in the classic Soviet 'realist' style. But better. Stalin NEVER wrote anything sexy.
But, anyway. Chuck Berry.
In the late 60's, he was coasting on his 1950's hits, played by the Beatles and Stones, acknowledged as the true father of rock & roll, and playing gigs for a firm $1,000 a show. When asked when or if he planned to retire, Berry said, "The day some punk promoter offers me only $900 a show, I'll shake his hand and say, 'Kid, you just retired the legendary Chuck Berry, congratulations'."
Mollusks.
Book Review: The Dollar is Not Evil
Summary: 5 Stars
This book should be in every patriot. The book is one of the most rapturing reading experiences I've had in a long time. I read it in under a week, as I couldn't put it down.
The premise of the book is the answer to the question of "What would happen if the producers of the world, the intellectuals, the people holding the country on their shoulders, simply went on strike?" What if Atlas, holding the world on his shoulders while the world cursed him simply got sick of being abused and shrugged the planet off?
Although the book will certainly make you more of a libertarian, I certainly do not endorse all of Rand's philosophy. She does deride religion unnecessarily, I believe, linking Christianity and Communism as if they are inseparable, when in reality they are closer to being exclusive. This book, however, will enlighten any patriot who wishes to be aware of the buzzwords the looters of today will use.
The characters are startlingly dynamic, and much is spoken in riddles. The plot is bizarre, but shockingly realistic, especially at the beginning. The story is all too real until we visit Atlantis, and then it becomes more like fiction.
Some of the greatest parts are Hank Rearden's trial and Fransisco d'Aconia's argument against the statement that money is the root of all evil.
This book is a must read for any intellectual, regardless of political views. Read with your mind, and be open to changing your views about big business, the dollar, and property rights. Don't accept everything, don't believe that there is no middle ground, but DONT burn the book. It needs to be read before the real Atlases of the world start Shrugging.
Book Review: Well worth the price of hardcover.
Summary: 5 Stars
My first encounter with Atlas Shrugged was when a friend passed me a very worn paperback that had been given to him by a friend. I imagine it had gone through the hands of several readers before my own. I was dubious when I first received the book, because I had always attributed the work to the stuffiness of a college literary class. I was pleased to find that I was wrong.
Rand tells an enthralling, complex story as she incorporates her philosophy into the lives and tribulations of the characters she creates. Even though the 60 page dissertation can be cumbersome to read, it still remains a difficult novel to set aside. I read the book in just over a week's time, even though I don't get much time to enjoy novels due to my job. I simply could not put the novel down. Rand is excellent at making her reader think of the question: "What is next?" Dagney and the characters invoking positive change are very likeable; the pompous characters who believe in the status quo are as easy to root against as a silent movie villain.
When I was finished with my paperback, hand-me-down copy of this phenomenal novel, I regrettably had to discard it due to the fact that several pages fell out after the many readings it had worked through before mine. The sheer size of the novel leaves paperback bindings straining- therefore, I was overjoyed to receive this particular hardbound edition as a gift this year. If you are thinking of buying this novel, it is well worth the price to receive years of enjoyment out of a hard bound edition.
Book Review: Atlas Strikes again
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the most influential, but rarely mentioned,
books of the 20th century.
OK, this is a RE-RELEASE of a book first printed in 1957,
and available in various paperback editions.
Nevertheless, Amazon ran out of books, and my initial
ship date of April 21 - the release date - got changed
to April 27. And I had had my order sitting for weeks, and
shipping was first-come/first-served.
Alan Greenspan was part of the author's (Ayn Rand)
inner circle, back in the fifties.
The "Reagan revolution" (specifically Budget director
David Stockman), Californias "Proposition 13", airline
deregulation and many other freedom-directed polical
movements of from about 1975 onwards took a large
chunk of their intellectual nourishment from
Atlas Shrugged, directly or indirectly.
This applies not only to the US but to e.g.
the UK (under Margaret Thatcher),
to New Zealand under Lange and to many other
countries to varying degrees.
I am glad to see this formative and formidable tome
back in print as hardcover. Read and you will understand,
whether you agree or disagree (in eihter case, prepare
to do so - but violently).
And no, I will not review the actual novel, this has
been done many times. This is a review of the
re-release, and of the book as a phenomenon.
Nils Andersson
Book Review: An absolute must-read
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a modern-day classic on par with George Orwell's "1984." It is an absolute must-read and is at least as timely today as when it was written.
This is obviously a VERY long novel (nearly 1200 pages), and yes, it does have quite a bit of dialog (including several rather long monologues). With that said, this book is a real page-turner that only rarely drags. It really doesn't seem long, and I had a hard time putting it down.
Some have criticized this book for being "too unrealistic" or having characters that are "one-dimensional." Yes, many of the characters are larger than life; they're supposed to be. This is not a book about ordinary people in ordinary circumstances; one of the main purposes of this book was to show the result of various philosophies, so this book shows the end point of these philosophies. Rand is critiquing opposing philosophies by asking two questions: first, what would happen if these opponents really became fully consistently with their presuppositions? Second, what if their victims refused to help them do so? (One of her arguments in the book is that the "looters" need what she calls the "sanction of the victim" - i.e. the willingness of victims to suffer for doing good).
If you're interested in either economics or philosophy, this is a great book to read. Even if you're not interested in these topics (maybe I should say "especially if"), this is still a great book to read. Definitely recommended.