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.

I love this book

If you could sum up Atlas Shrugged in three words, what would they be?

Great character development.

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

There isn't, except maybe her other work. We the Living was an excellent first novel; The Fountainhead geared up for Atlas Shrugged.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Francisco.

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

I want to but can't.

Any additional comments?

I actually have two audio Atlas Shrugged purchases now. This one is far superior in audio quality to the other. The narrarator is better, too.

Fabulius

One of the best books ever written, read by one of the best narrators in the world. Don’t miss this.

3rd time

this is a must read for anyone wondering about the future of America or the world at large. excellent!!!!!

Easily misunderstood

I've spoken to a few people who have taken the philosophy in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged to some twisted extreme that proposes that big business is justified in producing low quality products, while charging quality prices for the sake of maximizing profits. That Rand's objectivism leads to that sort of method to business.
The book is brilliant. I like to compare the conflict in the book to our modern a American insurance industry There's a beautiful similarity to the method of the leeches/moochers in Atlas Shrugged and the industries structure of recent years.
I highly recommend the book. If you like a simple explanation of a complex theory, through a great plot, this is is the book for you.

She told us so.

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

This and the Fountain Head are my most enjoyed audio books.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Atlas Shrugged?

When one finally realized that the government interference in & regulation of the means of production the socialism (leftist ideology) destroyed the freedoms that millions previously sacrificed for.

Which scene was your favorite?

This book didn't work the way of this very shallow question. Ayn Rand was a prophet in the truest sense of the word. She saw that leftist politics would destroy our free nation if we didn't stop the direction we were going. Ayn Rand, like George Orwell, had voices that warned of the danger of government growth & interference. Voices that none dared to hear. When I look at America it feels like I'm inside Rand's & Orwell's books.

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

I mourn for what America has lost. The book was a very satisfying read, but when you over lay today's America on the story the tragedy is almost too much to bear.

chapter 2 heavily skipped.

The story is fine and the voice of the narrator is better than. Most the flaws in chapter 2 make this book not worth purchasing.

best non-fiction fiction book ever

theres a story-line..but it pales before the morales, monologues and teachings in this book. In breif, it's a tale of what would happen IF the well thinking but misguided socialists/communists in the world were to get their way fully.
Of course, its only Ayn Rand's opinion.
If you think socialism is great, don't listen to this book. It will just make you angry.
If you think free market is good, this book will give you the rhetoric and arguments behind what you sub-consciously thought to be true.
She provides examples, but no proofs(cuz they dont exist), so this book is only for people that already agrees with her.
So, its a fiction..but not really. Best book out there nonetheless.
its very long though, about 1400 pages long. bye

Excellent book, excellent storyteller.

I have no meaningful words, it's a master piece. Even putting aside the whole theme, is the way the story is told, the description of everything. Just amazing, I'm blown away. Thank you Ayn.

loved it start to finish!

loved the book from start to finish absolutely amazing! what a ride! highly recommend it

Eternally relevant

Atlas Shrugged is an incredible work with an eternally valuable message. Rand's work should be read and discussed in every institution of higher learning.