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.

great reading by Scott brick.

loved it! fantastic book for anyone struggling to define where the principles are based and looking for reasons why the left is a lie.

A must read in today's political climate...

A book that should absolutely be read in every school across the globe.. It really put into perspective the "looters" society we are currently living through...

Great book, interesting philosophy

My grandfather had told me I shouldn't read this book because of the views expressed within. of course that only made me more compelled to read it.
Though I have some disagreement with Ayn Rand ' s ideas, there is much to learn from them. I am grateful for the opportunity this book gave me to think over my own philosophy. I for instance agree that the ideology of life where striving for your own happiness is the highest good (as long as you don't trample other's freedoms).
You should read this book, because as I told my grandfather " the sign of an intelligent mind is having the ability to entertain an idea without accepting it". Please entertain these ideas :)

who is John gault

i love that you hear the author's voice throughout the book, to the point she beats you over the head with her view point. but that fine for the work she has left for us this read.

Fantastic novel, beautifully read

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this audiobook to a friend with a clear warning that it's a long one, and it takes a while for the story to really get going. If you have some patience, it will be worth it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This book was perfect for my 30- to 40-minute commute to student teaching and back. It was captivating (at least the second half was), but not so much so that I felt the need to sit in the parking lot for more than a minute or two after reaching my destination.

Any additional comments?

Warning: Reading this book just might make you rethink your world view. It might make you want to become a more responsible and hard-working person.

I finished Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged

What did you love best about Atlas Shrugged?

I should get an award as should anyone else with a life that finishes this monster. It was enjoyable and soon became a sick addiction. A person probably has to be at least a bit of a capitalist to read the epic, correct that, listen to the epic.... finally figuring out to increase the narration to 2x at about the halfway point! Maybe my far left leaning friends could get through it fueled on anger. You have to admit it is impressive no matter where you stand. Listen to the other better version for comparison? You have got to be kidding.

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

Slogging through the desert with Lawrence of Arabia.

Any additional comments?

If you are planning a trip to Mars take this along.

awesome

there is a comic book purity to the story. I love the themes and the characters.

Batman, Superman, Louise Lane, a pirate all appear in the characters of this book. Don't get me wrong its view of the total destruction of civilization will not actually come if the "best" people decide to leave us to our rotten selfless goals. great theme and execution.

my favorite book

best audio book performance I've heard, Blackstone audio hit it out of the park with this.

very surprised

had been on my list for years as one of those books that well read people have read. I fully expected it to be drudgery... some of the speeches do go on (and on and on), but there was a surprising amount of action and plot and character development.

More relevant today than ever

Where does Atlas Shrugged rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a the top of the list of all audio books so far, and arguably at the top of my list of all-time books.

What did you like best about this story?

The relevant way the author handles the idea of Socialism and Communism against the backdrop of a crumbling society.

Which scene was your favorite?

The point where Dagny Taggart wakes up in the valley where all of the industrialists are hiding.