Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
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Book Reviews of Atlas Shrugged
Book Review: Only the producers will love this beautiful novel
Summary: 5 Stars
There are those who produce the wealth, those who create value, those who make and act and do. Then, there are those who take, loot; those who are parasites and leave it to others to care for them, provide for them, share their wealth with them. That's the basis of this wonderful 52-year-old novel by the Grand Dame of the Libertarian movement (though she would not admit to being libertarian.)
The novel has been criticized for being poorly written. If you judge it by novels written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edna Ferber or Sinclare Lewis, it is quite different. But those writers were American from the start. Rand was a Russian. She didn't understand the American style of writing fiction. She was a formal writer. It sounds artificial to the American ear. But, let's face it, the American ear is accustomed to 6th grade writing. As an advertising writer, I write to that grade level because that's where most people, if they read at all, read.
What happens when the producers, who are criticized and used, taxed and abused, who are despised, stop working? You'll see when you read this book --- and it's not pretty. You'll meet exciting characters -- leading business men and women. You'll meet people who make things run. If you think producers are treated well by society, you're wrong. See, here's the thing: Ayn Rand got it right long ago. She seemed to foresee what would happen -- what's happening now. She saw a beautiful capitalistic society on a hill taken over and ruined by socialism. The looters, the government, the welfare recipients --- they live off the work, the minds, of the producers. That's what's happening today. We must "share the wealth" is the popular phrase in Washington today.
So, Rand had her producers go on strike. Quite. Blow up their factories. Spend all their money. Leave. Today this is called "Going Galt." (John Galt from the book.)
Just as many producers today are leaving New York because of high taxes on the rich and some others moving to Australia to get away from socialism, Rand's characters just quit. And, as a consequence, the looters, the non-producers, hurt. They lost their only hope of survival. They lost their meal ticket.
You may not like the writing. You may find Rand dogmatic. You may find Objectivism a cruel philosophy. But this is one of the greatest books ever written. And the philosophy is a lovely, honest belief system to those who love liberty, who produce the goods and services that others enjoy and from which others profit.
Today, as our beloved capitalism is slipping away and we slip into ugly socialism (if we allow it), this book is perhaps the most relevant reading we can undertake. I suggest if you care about liberty, you read it now.
- Susanna K. Hutcheson
Book Review: First Principles
Summary: 5 Stars
Miss Rand's lengthy, yet seductively intelligent, diatribe against liberalism/socialism is a tour de' force for those who embrace liberterian principles. Ultimately, the crux of her argument seems to be this: fiscal conservatives can live apart from disconsolate liberals; liberals, however, would be lost in a wilderness of despair and hunger without the beneficent presence of liberterians to show them the way to the 'promised land.' It is an interesting thesis, and has provoked much discussion, as evidenced by the tome's popular acclamation. I, myself, ponder the consequences of, say, dividing America into two distinct spheres: one embracing supply-side economics, the other totally immersing itself into the quicksand of socialistic policies. One need only compare the fates of the United States and the now defunct U.S.S.R to divine the answer.My sole point of disputation with regard to her compelling thesis is her anathema to all things religious. Rand, through her characters, expresses her conviction that religion is basically for 'suckers', an oppressive tool for subduing the masses. Most Liberterians seem to espouse similar sentiments.
Yet, as an aspiring J.D. candidate here in Virginia, my studies have revealed that atomistic 'capitalism' did not emerge on its own, it was not conceived with 'malice aforethought.' No 'big bang' here, my friends! Capitalism/Individualism is an offshoot of Christian principles. The most palpable principle being that man is made in God's image, and therefore, as an individual, his life is not to be taken from him without some sort of due process owed to him by his government. The protection of lIberty and property as inalienable rights flow from this principle.
In Roman and Greek society, there was no concept of subjective, individual rights as we understand them in modern Western civilization-- a civilization steeped in Christian ideals. Atomism, per se, traces its roots back to Paul's doctrine of evangelical liberty. In the centuries to follow,as Europe became increasingly Christianized, Franciscans, Dominicans, and Calvinists would argue whether life, liberty, and property were inalienable gifts from God. Ultimately, they were all christened as such. (Dec. of Independence)
Ultimately, as evidenced above, liberterianism, as a political philosophy, has as its foundation, Christianity. Is it no small coincidence that subjective individual liberties have not emerged in China, India, and other non-Christian nations? So, let us not be too quick in dismissing the value of religion. As Russell Kirk eloquently stated, "culture begins with the cult."
With regard to the book itself, it is an interesting, thought-provoking read. I recommend it to your liberal friends.
Book Review: A Compendium for Capitalists
Summary: 5 Stars
I titled my review in this way to try and provide a view point that someone interested in business would be attracted to. There's a lot of rattle on about Ayn Rand's philosophy and it's all relevant but, if you simply understand that she has a philosophy she expresses through her characters and the plot of this story, but the story takes front and center stage, not the philosophy, which is easy to make an issue of.
The book is beautifully written in a way that books are seldom done anymore. It develops characters and lets them develop further as the story continues, their thinking, feelings and actions so beautifully expressed. The "hero" of this book is a woman, Dagny Taggart, and the focus remains on her for most of the story. Her passion and drive are envious, her intellect even more so. She is all too human as the story shows, yet the pride of singularity and powerful self esteem are inspiring. The men that surround her; Hank Reardon and Francisco d'Anconia are male versions of her blue print in ambition, drive, intelligence and vision but coming from a different place with different baggage. The love affairs she has with these men, both physical and emotional are so magnificently described they seem almost unreal. The characters are perfect, the stage is set, the world is revolving and all is well until one day... it's not.
That's when the story really begins, when people, trust and love are tested. In each case, the choice of Rand's words, the description of a thought (which might take pages to describe) are so beautifully crafted you wonder how a single person created this masterpiece work. I urge you to read it, for the love of words, for the depth of story for the escapism and for the philosophy, it's blended together in a way I have never experienced before in a single volume.
You will identify with someone in this book, Me? I think I was more Hank than Francisco or Eddie. The clarity of purpose is inspiring and even possible for a while but where the "flaws" start to become evident is that it's only a story and it's called Science Fiction by most. In reality it's a love story and a capitalist dream. It's a political manifesto and a revolutionary's cook book. It's a way to think about your work life and your life in your country as a citizen. I inspired me and solidified many of my assumptions about my role in society and it made me feel damn good about my own life's accomplishments.
As you read, immerse yourself and go along for the ride without judging until the end. Who is John Galt? It's every one of us who has a dream and will go to any extreme to make it real.
Enjoy.
Book Review: I'd like to shrugg off the world's (government's) weight too
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not afraid of reading 1000+ page books after reading the Harry Potter series, and Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End". All of those books engrossed me for days on end. But at first "Atlas Shrugged" presented a challenge to me.
Rand's characters don't have the same full-bodied, 3-dimensional quality as Rowling's and Follett's. However, they demand personal liberty just the same. Rand's characters are single-minded, but not flat or lifeless. They brim with persistence, as though they devoured "Think and Grow Rich" and knew every word literally would change their lives into exactly what they demand it to be.
The book became "cathartic" for me. Why? Because as Rand laid out the real workings and purpose of socialism I began to understand why America reclaiming its freedom is so important. I began to see why I've treasured my own personal freedom so jealously all my life, but now can put into words. I could see why socialism and communism are such clear threats. They are precisely the opposite of enlightenment. The whole chain of cause and effect from beginning to end made sense. She has no contradictions in terms, as do the overwhelming majority of our present so-called intellectuals and professors. I'm so proud that I did not finish college, so proud that I am not indoctrinated with pro-socialist rhetoric, so proud that I value my own mind that highly.
Why America is so special - we are the first nation in the history of the world to found our own government and lay it at a level BENEATH the individual.
That alone should tell you how far from our founding principles we've come.
If I were God of this solar system, "Atlas Shrugged" is the Bible I would have written for humanity. I certainly would not have left it to an ancient tribe of desert dwellers who would have thought a wheelbarrow would be a stunning achievement of technology (to borrow from Sam Harris's "The End of Faith" another relentlessly intelligent and clear read).
I've embraced Objectivism and Libertarianism as my own personal philosophies, because on a visceral level, they have always been the personal philosophy that I was trying to find words for.
Florida residents will be happy to know that someone who considered Ayn Rand like a grandmother is running for governor 2010. His name is John Wayne Smith. More can be read about what he's about at a friend's blog -[...].
How socialism is destroying present day American as far as the legal system is concerned can be read in Judge Andrew Napolitano's "Constitutional Chaos" and "The Constitution in Exile".
Book Review: Awe-inspiring,
Summary: 5 Stars
if a bit redundant and slightly melodramatic. I adored this book and couldn't put it down from the moment I picked it up, and later I did suffer the morning-after syndrome, but when all's said and done I find Atlas Shrugged to be a vital addition to my collection. Rand's characters are a bit monotonous- all the heroes cut from the same noble, superior-race cloth; all the baddies from the same two strains of either spineless quasi-villains or emotionless instruments of evil. The flaws in Hank Reardon's character are probably what make him the most believable, and that's still not very. Being unrealistic didn't detract from my admiration of them, though, and I did thoroughly enjoy their valor in their struggles.The book is intriguing from the first chapter, and Dagny Taggart is a wonderful heroine (until the latter part of the story). Her history with Francisco D'Anconia, her work behind the scenes at her brother's company, and her developing relationship with Hank Reardon- all kept me captivated. However, towards the end it seemed that Dagny lost her purpose, her direction, and began to drift aimlessly. She didn't really accomplish anything, and I got the feeling that Rand put her in that position solely for the sake of the ending, which also felt rushed and a bit out of place. There were other bits and pieces that I felt were thrown in unnecessarily, such as the whole bit with James Taggart's courtship and marriage and subsequent widowhood with his randomly created wife. However, the evolving relationship between Reardon and the Wet Nurse was wonderfully evocative, particularly at the culmination. It takes a lot of patience and dedication to dig your way through Rand's inspired 60-page monologues on her concepts of Ego and Objectivism, but they happen infrequently, and don't interfere with the story too much, if you remember where you left off with the plot when the monologue struck. I have to admit that it was the romance in the story that delighted me as much as all the noble concepts of individualism and the struggles of good and evil. Despite all of them being so similar, I was very pleased that Dagny should get her choice of three choice men (no pun intended).
This novel introduces some novel ideas (really, no pun intended) of self-sacrifice and selfishness. While it may not change your life, it might very well open your eyes to a new perspective of charity. Anyway, even disregarding all the abounding philosophy, it's a fascinating story with enough realism, romance, and fantasy to make it unforgettable.