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.

Atlas shrugged

One does not have to be a libertarian to appreciate the ideals of entrepreneurship and taking responsibility for one’s own success and happiness in life that Rand espouses in her novel. The story is told without sentimentality, but is nonetheless compelling.

A life changing book

Would you consider the audio edition of Atlas Shrugged to be better than the print version?

Having managed not to read this book in print previously, I came to it with fewer preconceived personalities and voices so I found the actor to be fantastic. I'm sure it would be tough to listen to someone else's interpretation of the characters if one were already very taken with the book and its characters. I thought the interpretation to be great.

What did you like best about this story?

I think that the best part of this story is that it REALLY makes you think. Even if you don't agree with everything that Rand puts forward, I find it hard to imagine someone who can't take something from this book. I think its likely something that we should all read at various points in our lives. I also love how she manages to mix her objectivist philosophy with a very engaging novel.

Such an amazing book, I can't believe I've taken so long to read/listen to it.

Awesome Read! Narrator is the BOMB at x3

Any additional comments?

Brick was actually pretty dang good. Start listening at 1.25X then slowly move up to 3X (if you would like to). Brick talks slowly but probably sounds the best at 1.5X. I had full comprehension at 3X and thought it was very engaging. Have a great time listening most def worth it!

the Great Book

I truly believe does this supposed to be red by all students prior graduating high school

Everyone should read this to understand socialism

Ayn tends to ramble on and on to make her point sometimes, but it really just makes you shake your head when you realize how much what she wrote about then is true today!

Absolutely Fantastic Book

This is by the best book I have ever listened to. Truly a masterpiece. The characters are great. The story is perfect. Thank you Ayn Rand. My mind appreciates this book.

A great listen!

Any additional comments?

I had been hearing about this book for years and finally moved it up my

A very long and very in-depth work

Here is a great book that depicts what is really happening all around us. The Government is being controlled by ‘hidden’ power that want the world economy locked onto one course and that is it. They get laws passed to stifle competition and keep innovation to a select few rather than welcoming competition. Look at the Supreme Court allowing business practices to be patented after Congress made it legal despite growing evidence that it’s hurting economic growth! Here the author is warning us about this and it telling us that it’s up to us to end this. I myself own a trademark and no one cared until the word I used in it began to move into the larger audience. I can tell you personally it is a battle to defend my trademark. I have to walk the line of not pissing off the wrong people and keep moving forward because a trademark can now for the first time in US history be revoked with little or no evidence. Keep this in mind as you move forward and understand that based on some of these overly broad patents no new technology can be ‘invented’ without someone already owning a part of it before it’s ever put out to the world.

A work of perfection

I don't give 5 stars lightly. The narrator certainly helped, but this is truly a literature perfection, a must read for everyone.

Pace yourself

You've got to pace yourself on this book, lots of stuff to digest said in many words. Loved it though, glad I finally read it.