Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand (1996, Paperback, Anniversary)

Atlas Shrugged is an amazing story, one of the best books I have ever read. I had borrowed a copy from the library, and ordered this one so I could have my own copy. Unfortunately, this copy is small, and since the book is over 1000 pages, they make the font TINY to fit it all in! I would recommend ordering one of the larger editions.

I had read this book many years ago, forgot most of it and wanted to read it again. In view of the current trend of government to throw Trillions of OUR
descendant's earnings at problems which were largely caused by government's abnegation of responsibility for controlling financial market theft, this is a must read for those who perceive Socialism's threat to liberty. That may be the future of our once free society. Every "gift" we grant to the bandits will eventually be extracted from "We, The People." There is no "Free Lunch." 1984's Big Brother is alive and maturing in our Capitol. MG in Upstate NY

A precise forecast of the ultimate results of false economic and moral teachings which motivates the reader to really think through his own precepts. It is an appeal to readers of all political persuasions; liberals/socialists to mentally follow their shallow dogma their honest conclusion and conservatives to become more involved in restoring the principles upon which this country was founded.
While I do personally not subscribe to all of the author's details of her philosophy of "objectiveism", I do recognize how close we are in America to living out her far-sighted vision of what could cause our demise as a nation.
A must-read for anyone who still loves the concept of what this country was meant to be and who cares about its future for the sakes of his children and grandchildren.

It is rare to read a book which can strike a nerve the way this story does. Much the way Orwell showed great insight to future events (big brother, double speak), Ayn Rand brings a view from the past that is all to real today. The threat of socialism's excesses and the destruction of capitalism are brought together in a wonderful story of liberalism gone awry. I can't believe it took me so long to read this book. It is fantastic. She is a great story teller with a fantastic (albiet dark) message.

This is the greatest story ever told and it seems to be coming true in these times.

Every elected official should be required to read this book.

This book is my 2nd favorite of all time (favorite is Fountainhead). When I describe it to my friends who have not read it I tell them that it is a little slow to start, but well worth it. Once you get into it, you can't put it down. The story is compelling, the premise is profound and enlightening. The logic is sound.

This book will change your life. READ IT! READ IT! You'll be glad you did.

the most insightful work of fiction on the evils of socialism ever written.
the book lays out; in detail, how persons are stripped of thier self worth by a government who insists they break their back working. and in return
they're "given" only what they need to survive. and are expected to donate the
fruit of thier labors to those who did'nt earn it.

Beautiful book

Iconic writer, classic study... read it when published... connecting with early memories... was and still is a must read for every goneration

Read it for a scholarship, and by looking at the title i thought it was going to be boring. But it was not like that at all. I found the book very interesting and intriguing. Recommended for anyone who likes books that give a sense of real life.

Though the reading was a bit cumbersome at first, I couldn't wait to complete the book. What an exciting and insightful commentary on politics, economics and attitudes of people/societies today. Oh, this book was published in 1957!? WOW!

Everyone should read this rather long classic novel and learn what happens to industry and prosperity when the government takes charge like is happening today. The old saying that "if you ignore history you are destined to relive it" is very true in this instance.

Great book, great quality!
it's a great deal so go ahead and buy!
it's a long book but that's good because you'll enjoy reading it...

Writing by Ayn Rand 100% great but, the SIGNET brand book (front cover with blue colored characer on white background version)has fine print and the ink TRANSFERS to your fingertips after turning a few pages.

I love this book because of the attention to detail. Rand incorporates her philosophy into the realistic story creating idealistic characters which keep you interested. The book may be long but any less pages would not make it as great. Action, romance, and drama are all found throughout "Atlas Shrugged" without losing dignity.

Atlas Shrugged is an epic tome that requires a certain dedication to finish. It is a complex novel with many seemingly unrelated story threads converging ultimately upon the climax. It has many larger than life characters accomplishing great achievements through the rigorous application of that uniquely human quality: reason. They struggle mightily against anti-reason, mediocrity, fakery, and the quest for the unearned.

The author casts moral issues in black and white so that there can be no mistaking good for evil or evil for good. In that sense, it is harsh. There is no retreat from obvious conclusions. But it illuminates many mysteries of modern life and makes sense out of many complex issues that have baffled most of us. The characters are used to demonstrate the power of reason and the nature of its enemies.

And so the book becomes a great philosophical work as well as a novel, building upon Aristotle's principles of logic and arguing successfully the case for the power of thought and the transmission of thought into action. It shows man as he could and should be, alongside the antithesis. The reader is left with a clear understanding of life's most essential truth: To be or not to be is the choice to think or not to think.

Anyone who reads and understands this novel comes away changed forever. His universe will have become integrated. He will know that all things are explainable in reality, even if the explanation has not yet been discovered. He will be secure in the knowledge that reality is what it is, and that the job of the human mind is to discover it.

Atlas Shrugged is hated and denounced in many religious circles because it shines the light of reason into the murky darkness of mysticism that constitutes modern superstition. It shows that an act of faith is a crime against reason and, therefore, against the mind.

The only criticism I could honestly level against this great work is that the author strives so hard to make her philosophical points that the climax, a speech by the main protagonist, seems belabored. It runs to something like 60 pages hammering home the importance of dedication to reason and reality and skewering their abandonment. Most thinking people will get the point and become thoroughly convinced long before the speech is concluded.

The reason this book remains relevant enough to sustain continued sales almost 50 years after it was published is not its value as a complex novel, but that the author is absolutely right on most of her philosophical points. And by demonstrating them larger than life in the novel's characters, she makes them both understandable and believable. As long as thinking people want to make sense out of life and the universe, Atlas Shrugged will sell.

Very satisfied with shipper and product came in good condition and promptly. The price was affordable. I would use this vendor for future purchases.

1957? Umm-Hmm... could have been written yesterday, about tomorrow. With that in mind, you might not like it very much. Still, very much worth reading, if for no other reason than to make you "Check your premises". Try reading it and then sitting down and watching the news or reading a paper.

It was exactly the book i was looking for and in the exact condition i was told. However, it took a very long time to get delivered. I know it was mailed through "media mail" but I have purchased many books in the past and this one took quite awhile. But i guess that was out of their hands.

the book was in pristine condtion and arrived quickly. everything went smoothly and this sender was really nice and hgis prices were cheap.

Perfect condition. fast shipping. just like description. i bought it because a friend of mine had read it and claimed that it changed her life. i wanted to see what the fuss was about.

I read this book for the first time as a teenager avid to read as much as I could get my hands on. Aside from the chapter long tirade about the evils of man that John Galt goes into, this book is great! Ive read it 3-4 times thru-out my 41 yrs and each time you find something different, interesting about it. I plan to read it again real soon :) It's an interesting concept of a world living totally for capitalism, makes you stop and think about what society would be like if it were. Everyone who reads it will have a definite opinion on it thats for sure. I recommend this book as reading to grow and form personal opinions about who we are and where we want to be. Good luck reading it :) It may take a few times for things to really hit home.

If you like an action novel with adult-size,
believable heroes, living in the same world you live
in...and, at the same time, the kind of story which
makes you re-think every idea you've ever heard or
lived your life by...you'll love Atlas Shrugged.
In it, you'll meet Dagny Taggart a woman who runs a
continental railroad. You'll meet Francisco Domingo
Carlos Andres Sebastian de Anconia, the latest heir of
a worldwide copper empire, which he blows up,
appearing to become a worthless playboy, for a reason
you can't even guess for 2/3 of the novel. You'll meet
Hank Rearden, the archetypical self-made
industrialist, who invents a totally new kind of
metal, lighter and stronger than steel. He cannot
understand why, not only his country, but also his
family do not appreciate his creativity and
productivity. He discovers why, over the course of the
novel, the clash between two very opposite moral
codes. You'll meet Ragnar Danneskjold, a modern-day,
high-seas pirate, who highjacks American cargo ships
carrying relief to the failed People's Socialist
Paradises around the world. He sells off the cargo for
gold, which he uses to reimburse people's income tax
to them. And the main character? Him you don't get to
meet until 2/3s of the way into the novel. And when
you do, you'll have several emotional reactions. one
of which is, you may laugh your head off, because
you'll realize that the author has laid clues about
this character from the first sentence all the way
through. This character has let a plot loose in the
world of the novel, which will change the world, and
you may wish it were happening in your world. And, his
reasons will astound you.
Those reasons will also cause you to see yourself
differently. They'll cause you to understand the
people around you in a whole different way. They'll
cause you to see the world around you in a new way
and, once you do, you won't be able to go back to your
original way of seeing it.
This is not the kind of novel, after which you've read
it that you can barely remember the names of the
characters. You'll remember these people for the rest
of your life and see them all around you, in the best
and worst of the characters of the people you know.
The life of the author was as adventurous as all her
novels. She was raised in Russia, under the communists
and managed to get out of there when she was 21. She
came to America, the country she said was founded on
her moral principles. She went to Hollywood, hoping to
write screenplays, met Cecil B. DeMille, who got her
started. She wrote the American classic novel, The
Fountainhead, which they turned into a movie, starring
Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal. Then, as the result of
13 years of thought and intensive writing, she
produced Atlas Shrugged, the book which continues to
inspire the love of life and intellectual curiosity of
millions of young people, many of whom are becoming
the intellectuals who are reshaping the world. Later,
came her non-fiction books in which she established
herself as a history-changing philsopher.
The recommendation of any of her books comes with a
warning. She portrays characters doing the unusual,
describes physical scenes like a painter paints, and
solves age-old problems in technical philosophy...in
pure, crystal-clear English. You'll be seduced to read
and read. So, the warning is, be sure to eat, drink
and sleep between sections of chapters. www.aynrand.org

Haven't had a chance to read it yet - but when I do, I'll let you know what I liked about it.
As for the order - it was speedy and the book is in perfect condition.

Thank you!