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.

Don't believe the lies.

This may be the greatest book ever written. You should read it or at least hear it.

Must Read

Have been trying to finish this book since ages, but thanks to audible I could complete it.

there are certain chapters of this book that I would be revisiting again, but what is surprising to me is that even after 3 decades this book is still so relevant to our day and age.

I am glad that I haven't read this book earlier, else I wouldn't have been able to grasp it in its entirety.

Superb Performance of an incredible literary work.

The narrator did an incredible job telling the story of Atlas Shrugged. Each character was given a distinct voice that helped bring them to life in the listener’s mind. Never monotonous and always engaging.

Still relevant

Just finished all 63 hours on a book that is 62 years old and found that it still resonates today. On the downside it could been written with half the words and the climactic soliloquy near the conclusion was long winded and disappointing. On the plus side the epic story with it's multiple levels, genres and fascinating characters .kept my attention in a way very authors and narrators are capable. You may love or hate Scott Brick (i have been guilty of both i confess) but he was a good choice here. Only regret is that i waited so long to finally dedicate the time

I am JOHN GALT....

If only ALL would read and understand this book.....
IMAGINE WHAT COULD/WOULD be possible to man....

The most amazing book I've ever "read"!

I have been putting off reading this for more than two decades, ever since I first heard of it. I wish I hadn't. This put so much of what I've been thinking and feeling into perspective and words in ways that had eluded me. Ayn Rand's way of articulating complex thoughts through dialogue has broadened my own capabilities in rational argument and reasoning. Absorb the book in whatever way is available to you and, as you advance, check your premise.

A Warning

Loved it even though it scares me to think this is where we are headed.

Enough already, we get it. Chose abridged!

Would you listen to Atlas Shrugged again? Why?

No - droned on and recapped everything too many times.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The premise, and the examples of how her theories could come to light.

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

Hank Rearden

Who was the most memorable character of Atlas Shrugged and why?

Francisco D'anconia

Any additional comments?

DO NOT LISTEN TO UNABRIDGED. Get abridged, that really sucked my will to live...

Very thought provoking

It was a very thought provoking story. Very well written and produced. A long story but worth the time.

Performance exceeded my expectations

Having read this novel years ago, I was not expecting such a wonderful adaptation to audiobook. But this is really excellent--of course Scott Brick is one of the best narrators and the overall performance is nearly flawless. The story is so relevant to political and economics today that it is almost eerie how a book that is over fifty years old could predict our current situation. But "things like this are never a coincidence." Excellent treatise on why things are the way they are, even if you do not subscribe to Objectivist philosophy. A must-read for anyone who questions "Why must it be so?"