Retro Review: Atlas Shrugged

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - Known among libertarians as the defining work of true libertarianism (what Rand called "Objectivism"), this book is the magnum opus of Ayn Rand's writing. "My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute," is how Ayn Rand explains herself in the "about the author" portion of this edition.



I did find this book to be aweful long and believe that 300+ pages could easily have been cut out without adversely effecting the story. However, the price of the book is well-spent if you only read John Galt's radio address (in the last 1/3 of the novel, about 60 pages long). His speech summarizes the precepts of the book and the "producer's strike" he has instituted.



This truly mind-expanding philosophical novel is one that should not be missed by anyone for any reason. It's that important.