Registered: Nov 2003
Location: SE Pennsylvania
Posts: 387

I've just recently started reading again after a 2 year break(previously I used to read at least 2 novels a week or one technical book). I've decided to try reading "classics" since I had trouble finding anything that really captures my attention. I picked up several books including "Atlas Shrugged" and have been reading it for the last couple weeks. It turns out to be one of the best books I've read in the last 10 years. The speeches, Ms. Rand's insights into government and into society are more insightful that I ever could have expected. I wish I had read this book 10 or 12 years ago! Anyone else familliar with this interstesting novel?

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: library
Posts: 19562

Oh hell, not another one.

-m

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Mar 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 24302

quote:

---

Originally posted by taRANTula
I've just recently started reading again after a 2 year break(previously I used to read at least 2 novels a week or one technical book). I've decided to try reading "classics" since I had trouble finding anything that really captures my attention. I picked up several books including "Atlas Shrugged" and have been reading it for the last couple weeks. It turns out to be one of the best books I've read in the last 10 years. The speeches, Ms. Rand's insights into government and into society are more insightful that I ever could have expected. I wish I had read this book 10 or 12 years ago! Anyone else familliar with this interstesting novel?

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Nov 2003
Location: SE Pennsylvania
Posts: 387

I'm not going to run out and start studying Objectivism philosophy but I'll probably pick up "The Fountainhead" next. :-)

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 10121

You're not alone, taRANTula. Here are some tidbits about the book.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: zanzibar
Posts: 10413

I liked Atlas Shrugged, but also felt the book could have been 200 pages shorter.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2002
Location:
Posts: 8650

I am Francisco d’Anconia

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 10121

And I'm Hank. You can have Dagny, but it's going to take big bucks.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 1725

I made it to page 999 before I siad fuck it.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

I'm an admirer of the book, primarily for the pure originality of the thought involved. I'm certainly more of an Eddie Willers than anything else, and a bit of a Wesley Mouch on my bad days.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2000
Location: The Bottom of the Toyem Pole
Posts: 9453

I thought Anthem by her summed everything up pretty well and was a good 8 lbs lighter.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2002
Location: On a collision course with reality.
Posts: 334

I despised Atlas Shrugged. I borrowed it from my sister who borrowed it from a friend. Neither of whom wanted it back. The reason I continued reading it and didn't put it down is because it is a philosophical curiousity, and Ayn Rands writing style is more than decent.

But this book left me angry. Managers are important, but if they choose to "strike" there will be more than enough people willing to take over. It is an impossible concept. Additionally, I thought the way that progressive or liberal minded people were treated, Ie. those trying to better society instead of industry, was beyond insulting- it didn't even bother to try to dismiss them, preferring to treat them as outright laughingstocks.

When I finished that book it sat on my bookshelf for half a year. Every time I thought of it I received this mental image of a dark pit of hell in my house. Finally I put it out on the front porch for college scroungers (a common pasttime in boston/cambridge) only to have my roommate's girlfriend take it. Ack!

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Dec 2002
Location:
Posts: 15982

And no one mentioned the servers name in #wota? Blind, they are all blind.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2002
Location: On a collision course with reality.
Posts: 334

John Galt was a poor plot device. I forgot about him actually.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2002
Location:
Posts: 8650

Think of it as a parable, it might be more digestable that way.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: 0.50
Posts: 9355

quote:

---

Originally posted by Daniel
But this book left me angry. Managers are important, but if they choose to "strike" there will be more than enough people willing to take over. It is an impossible concept. Additionally, I thought the way that progressive or liberal minded people were treated, Ie. those trying to better society instead of industry, was beyond insulting- it didn't even bother to try to dismiss them, preferring to treat them as outright laughingstocks.

---

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2002
Location: On a collision course with reality.
Posts: 334

Actually the basic concept is that the individual top person of several major corporations and industries all decide they've had it with the ungrateful american public and they all decide to "go on strike" at the same time together. Civilization, of course, promptly goes into the shitter. I think industry is and was a little more resilient than that. And I also believe it is important to consider how industry impacts various social and environmental concerns which Ayn Rand believed was a ludicrous thing to have to do. Basically it was a book telling us how that we didn't know how good we have it with major industries (steel and railroad and oil being the big ones of the time) being there to take care of us and that we should essentially worship the individual industrial barons (Rockefeller, etc) as infallible deities.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Apr 2001
Location: 0.50
Posts: 9355

okay.
then i will say
haha!

what i said about middle management doesn't apply here, because as ridiculous as the modern corporate structure is, i'm fairly sure the peons (#2 and less) could hold down the fort.

i'm sure there's more to the than your summation would illustrate if you agree with the basic premises, though. i'm probably not ever going to read it, but i assume so.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged