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Atlas Shrugged | 
 enlarge | Authors: Ayn Rand, Edward Herrmann
Publisher: Highbridge Audio
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
Buy New: $20.00
You Save: $14.95 (43%)
New (20) Used (8) Collectible (1) from $19.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  1542 reviews
Sales Rank: 39739
Format: Abridged
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Items: 10
Pages: 12
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 5.7 x 5.1 x 1.1
ISBN: 1565114175
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
UPC: 025024847165
EAN: 9781565114173
ASIN: 1565114175
Publication Date: June 30, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
"Who is John Galt?" is the immortal question posed at the beginning of Ayn Rand's masterpiece. The answer is the astonishing story of a man who said he would stop the motor of the world—and did. As passionate as it is profound, Atlas Shrugged is one of the most influential novels of our time. In it, Rand dramatizes the main tenets of Objectivism, her philosophy of rational selfishness. She explores the ramifications of her radical thinking in a world that penalizes human intelligence and integrity. Part mystery, part thriller, part philosophical inquiry, part volatile love affair, Atlas Shrugged is the book that confirmed Ayn Rand as one of the most popular novelist and most respected thinkers of the 20th century.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1537 more reviews...
 One of the best books ever written October 14, 2008
The abridged audio version of this book, as read by Edward Herrmann, is an astounding piece of literature, a piece of pop culture, and must read to understand the philosophies of free market economics, liberty, and capitalism.
The story is a dystopic account of the fall of American civilization because of a strike of the people of the mind because of people known as the looters who look to interfere with their ability to make money and profit, and redistribute the wealth of those who created it. The more the government interferes in the economy, the more things fall apart and more men of the mind begin their strike.
Edward Herrmann does perhaps the best job of reading a book that I've ever heard. It is unobtrusive, yet forceful, and he does a great job giving voices to individual characters.
If you can't read the book, have it read to you! This is a rare 5 star review!!
Cautionary Tale and Eeriely Accurate Prognostication of Economy Collapse October 8, 2008
I read that book about seven years ago because I was intensely curious about Ayn Rand and her books. So many people waiting for the bus or riding one seemed to be into her books so I bought a hardback edition and started reading it. I could not stop reading it and turning the pages. When I came to the last page, I was so terribly disappointed that the marvellous story had to come to the end. I WANTED MORE!!!
That book made me see how the material value is determined and how it is diminished by the intensive governmental intervention as well as the corporate interference.
The strong parallel between the society as depicted in the 1957 book and the society in reality is astoundingly accurate. You owe it to yourself to read this book as to understand the financial crisis of 2008 better.
Ayn Rand does understand the economy and its ramification on the modern society so splendidly. She also told it very brilliantly.
I shan't reveal who is John Galt and what is the "motor" that moved the world.
good book October 6, 2008
I only got half way through before life got in the way. It was an interesting read and I'm hoping I can get back to it soon.
She (author) nailed it! Written for Today! October 5, 2008
A long read, but Ayn Rand tells the story of today's America. Politicians stay in power by redistributing wealth. Achievement is penalized, mediocrity is rewarded, and the country spirals down. Hmmm, sound familiar?
Loved it. Gave copies to all of our six children.
A must read...truly. Especially in this election year.
Misunderstood October 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The very instant you hear someone saying "She thinks so-and-so because in the end it's better for humanity" stop the conversation, because that person has either not read the book, or did not read it closely.
Ayn Rand's philosophy attempts to destroy the common trends in modern and contemporary philosophy who claim either there are no moral absolutes, or there are no absolute truths in reality. The claim is that in both instances there are absolutes, and we can know them.
Yes in this novel the characters are unrealistically good at everything, (good looking, can fly airplanes, incredibly intelligent, etc. etc.) Many people have taken this to be a sign of naivety in her writing. To those people I suggest you look at your premises of what constitutes "naive." Ayn Rand tries repeatedly to show that excellence is something to be loved, not flaws.
This sort of theme is present in all Greek epics, and in fact to the Greeks the very definition of "Hero" is something absolutely indistinguishable from what we typically see in our culture today. To the Greeks, heroism was practically synonymous with today's highly successful businessman. They attained wealth, and fame/glory. Yet the very same literary minded people who attack Atlas Shrugged for this precise theme will write entire dissertations on Greek epics, usually in extremely high regard.
The difference is a change of setting, and the philosophy of the person reading the book. She wanted to bring back the values which brought out the best in an individual, where all around her were novels which said that people are to be loved for their flaws, and that one should be GUILTY for loving something for how good it is.
This is only one aspect of the book, but an important one.
As for the economic themes, if you disagree with anything said in the book I only have to direct you to the American economy today. Banks are being seized and sold by the government, hundreds of billions of dollars (forcefully seized from its citizens) being spent to bail out banks (And should I add that in the beginning the banks were forced to take on these subprime loans, or else be sued for 'economic discrimination' and face other fines/legality issues. I know no other way to determine who to give a loan to except for 'economic discrimination' ) Smoking bans for private property, private property seizures.. the list goes on.
I think it's very unfortunate that people will read this book and leave it with such a deep rooted misunderstanding of it, when I approached this book I thought that I understood Ayn Rand's philosophy (at the time I was a libertarian) but I realized that I had everything absolutely wrong, and I had to go on a personal quest to figure out right and wrong practically from the beginning. This book changed me from pragmatism, (The exact antithesis of "absolute" the most subjective philosophy to exist) and showed me a way to live my life and be supremely happy with my accomplishments. I've never been happier in my life, and I only intend to continue accomplishing and bettering myself. Why? because I want to.
That's what this book has done for me.
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