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 Story but Very Verbose

Ayn Rand's ideals are solid! I just wish the book was shorter because I know she lost the interest of some people because she repeated the same beliefs over and over. I am a Christian so I had to understand that we all should use our brains to decide where we stand and what we believe. I choose to be a Christian and yet I also believe there is nothing wrong using the brains I was given to learn more and nothing wrong with making money to use as I choose. I believe that God gave us a brain and a heart. I choose to take care of my family, give money to whom I choose but I detest being forced to pay for those that have not earned their own way or live in a way that I reject. I have my own family to protect and we as Americans have our own country to protect.

Must Read

Loved this book. Make's you think about what we are doing to ourselves. Listening to it made my travels enjoyable.

Fun to read and makes you think.

It's easy to listen to. It's deep and makes you think about life.

It is an old book. Characters are good or bad. It is a feminist book for its time, but in some respects it is not in modern terms. You will also find cigarettes and chimneys seen as a good things, things that need to be considered in the context of their time.

Still a fascinating book, and relevant today.

A MUST LISTEN (or read) BOOK

One of the most important books I have ever read./listen to Grants liberation even as I saw myself as living according to its philosophy even before. Beautiful story, important message.

Aptly preceeded by fountainhead

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

This book expressed in ways that I cannot the simple meaning of a worker and his mind. I am an engineers engineer, and that is probably why I enjoyed the hunt for the engineer behind the power device so much. I wanted to meet him and understand.

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

Scott Brick chalks up another great performance. For me, his performance is transparent. In other words, I don't even notice he is narrating, it just allows the work to speak without me hearing his performance. That's just invaluable.

Any additional comments?

If you spend even 5 hours a week listening to audible content, you should seriously consider listening to this book. I think Rand's philosophy is well illustrated whether you agree or disagree.

I couldn't wait to listen to it!

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

Long, Worth It

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dagney, I enjoy strong female leads, her wit & attitude made me smile on more than one occasion

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

There was a smooth transition between the characters & he portrayed their emotions & attitudes well.

Any additional comments?

This is a very very very long book...that being said, it was worth it. It was a little rough starting out, but after the first 60 minutes you are hooked for the whole thing. I just watched the movie and was very disappointed in everything they chose to leave out. It's like a summary of the cliffs notes.

WOW.... WOW.

Narration - perfect. Story - riveting. I can't begin to offer up the praise this work deserves. With over 60 hours of story under its belt - Ms. Rand had my attention from word one. I listened to this book compulsively for weeks and it hammered itself into my number-one-book-of-all-time spot. I just loved it. The characters, the plot, the politics, the intrigue. I may never find a book to beat it. Highly, highly recommended. Perfect. Literary. Genius.

Far too prescient.

Like watching someone predict the world 70 years ahead of them or are these themes that evergreen? I know Rand gets a lot of hate (and I have my own issues as well) but there is something deeply uplifting in her works that I think gets ignored. This one is long...very long...but I think it’s required for the level of exploratory detail. Top Marks!

Glad I got through this beast of a novel.

So I had heard this book mentioned as a classic and had heard it referenced countless time throughout time. I can see why now, her precise and gravely altered, sometimes gravely flawed, characters are easy to soak up and analyze. The business side of the book and businesses within are interesting and often give you perspectives that you would never be aware of otherwise. With a little bit of romance, this book did keep my attention with it for the long haul, pun intended. The only thing that wore on me was the constant drab, grey, dystopian point of view of the average person and our American society as a whole. After 63 hours of the somewhat limited and pessimistic point of view that Ayn Rand gives you, it's not easy to keep going at a point or two but overall this novel is a classic and I can definitely see why. She is a great author clearly, but probably wouldn't make a great friend or acquaintance lol.

P.S.
Scott Brick did the best narration I have yet to listen to with this novel. He is incredible here.

A Masterpiece

I have read only a handful of books that have kept my attention through so long a narrative. Ayn Rand does a marvelous job of creating vivid characters and a world that encompasses such a vast story. I recommend this book to anyone who values their own thoughts above others.