Atlas Shrugged

By: Ayn Rand

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 62 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Peopled by larger-than-life heroes and villains, charged with towering questions of good and evil, Atlas Shrugged is Ayn Rand’s magnum opus: a philosophical revolution told in the form of an action thriller—nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

Atlas Shrugged is the "second most influential book for Americans today" after the Bible, according to a joint survey of five thousand people conducted by the Library of Congress and the Book of the Month Club in 1991.

In a scrap heap within an abandoned factory, the greatest invention in history lies dormant and unused. By what fatal error of judgment has its value gone unrecognized, its brilliant inventor punished rather than rewarded for his efforts?

This is the story of a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world—and did. In defense of those greatest of human qualities that have made civilization possible, he sets out to show what would happen to the world if all the heroes of innovation and industry went on strike. Is he a destroyer or a liberator? Why does he have to fight his battle not against his enemies but against those who need him most? Why does he fight his hardest battle against the woman he loves? The answers will be revealed once you discover the reason behind the baffling events that wreak havoc on the lives of the amazing men and women in this remarkable book.

Tremendous in scope and breathtaking in its suspense, Atlas Shrugged is Ayn Rand's magnum opus, which launched an ideology and a movement. With the publication of this work in 1957, Rand gained an instant following and became a phenomenon. Atlas Shrugged emerged as a premier moral apologia for capitalism, a defense that had an electrifying effect on millions of readers (and now listeners) who had never heard capitalism defended in other than technical terms.

©1985 Eugene Winick, Paul Gitlin and Leonard Peikoff (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

You Already Know! AWESOME!

Would you listen to Atlas Shrugged again? Why?

I would listen to this book over and over. I particularly enjoyed being able to follow along with the book as the audio version is unabridged. I had no conflicts with following along during the times I wanted to just read the book verses catch up by listening to the Audio book in my car.

What other book might you compare Atlas Shrugged to and why?

It is a great complex novel that will tinge at your concept of the human psyche. Similar to Leo Tolstoy, but for those familiar with Ayn you will know why this isn't completely accurate either. Who could you compare Ayn to?

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

I really enjoyed the character voices and changes. The only CON is sometimes the "s" sounds and "c" sounds were awfully sharp to hear and could be uncomfortable with the volume up. I had to change my audio settings in my car to compensate for this. No problem though for a Fan of this book!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

as always, who is John Galt?

Holy Bible...hah, this is my Bible

My wife and I both read this every year to remind ourselves of what is correct. Scott Brick is fantastic and never wavers as to the true voice of this novel.

If I could suggest one book, this would be it. Just make sure you get through the first few hours...it does start as a bore...to some.

Who is John Galt?

Thought provoking, but a slow read

This is definitely a thinking book. In my opinion, it presents an extreme point of view, but nevertheless, it asks some good questions and makes readers think critically about what they believe. This book requires focus and active engagement, which can be challenging at times as it is so long. Ultimately though, I enjoyed it and found it intellectually stimulating.

Probably the biggest downside is the slow speed of the narrator. I had it on 1.5x speed for most of the book. However, I thought the narrator did a great job with character differentiation using his voice, and that made it much easier to follow along.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to a friend and I look forward to discussing it with others.

A is A

Great read. Great philosophy. Timeless and inspiring. I recommend this to any high achiever out there.

Fantastic Story / LONG book

Would you listen to Atlas Shrugged again? Why?

yes, when I have another three months of my life to devote to it. Great story, fantastic themes, good characters, fun surprises / plot turns. Overall, loved the book even though at times I found myself wondering if it would ever be over

What other book might you compare Atlas Shrugged to and why?

n/a

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

I can't believe how many different voices this guy could do. I was truly impressed. You really get the idea that each voice is its own personality. He is able to make each character their own.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I loved the themes even though at times they are over embellished. You have to believe in capitalism and libertarian ideas to get through this book otherwise you'll be vomiting after the first chapter.

Any additional comments?

great book I would recommend everybody read it once. Difficult to get through at times because its so long but after it ended I found myself missing the story. Maybe thats because I spent every day of my life with this book for almost two months.

Best book I've ever read.

Rand's writing is easier to read than the Bible and the philosophical arguments are more valuable.

Great book. Long but awesome.

The book was long and a bit slow at points but it was a great read. Highly recommended. It makes you think about the way the world works.

Must Read for Everyone

Any additional comments?

I love how this book clearly lays out the problems of the anti-capitalist agenda. It is very straight forward in demonstrating how the anti-capitalists can ruin an economy and a country. I am not a die hard capitalist and certainly did not agree with all the points of view of the protagonists. However, I found myself agreeing way more often than not with the protagonists than anyone else. I even found myself laughing and even cheering when a policy of the anti-capitalists ultimately turned around and burned the anti-capitalists by its effect. While it has some flaws, the book truly is a masterpiece that I will enjoy listening to again.

liberating

this novel reinvigorated my passion for the free market and ones own invividualism. must read.

Historia profunda y entretenida

Muy recomendable. Fuerte y profunda. Deja mucho para reflexionar. Si te interesas la economía y la filosofia, es un gran libro.