[TJT]∎ PDF Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand Leonard Peikoff 8601400311974 Books

Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand Leonard Peikoff 8601400311974 Books

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Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand Leonard Peikoff 8601400311974 Books

Atlas Shrugged is a captivating novel. The greatest "shortcoming" is that the book is over 50 years old. The heroine is the vice-president of a major railroad company, and most of the plot revolves around her desperate efforts to keep the railroad going. In the 21st century, when the age of railroads is long past, this is certainly dated. Indeed, Atlas Shrugged, although contemporary when written, takes on the feel of a grand masterful allegory perhaps like Dante, Chaucer, or Swift. It is just as much "fun" as Alice in Wonderland or Gulliver's Travels--and just as serious as the Divine Comedy. Yet, if you listen to a hour of local and national news on TV every evening while reading the book--half of the stories will sound as though they were lifted from the book--so timelessness and universal is Rand's story.

This will probably be the most important book (to you) that you read in your lifetime.

What is it about? It is often described as "Capitalism versus Communism", or "altruism vs selfishness"--but both descriptions seriously miss the point. What this book is really about is much more fundamental. It is about the nature of good and evil, and beyond that, the very meaning of life.

"But I'm a good person, so what value is this book to me?"--you may ask. Answer: You have certainly noticed that adult "morality" is full of all kinds of exceptions and contradictions. The truth is, the world of "morality" we adults have constructed is a sham, a fraud. It is no more than "social convention"--which is to say, "what we all more-or-less agree to"--and actually, despite all the "moral" justification, has absolutely nothing to do with morality or right-and-wrong, and often little to do with common sense.

Still, the question remains, "Why isn't simply accepting the current 'social norms' good enough?" "Go along to get along." Answer: To put it bluntly, the greatest evil the world has ever seen has been done by folks "accepting community norms" who thought they were doing good, or at least who could justify their actions as being "socially acceptable".

The truth is, you will be quite surprised when you learn the true nature of evil. Until you have read Atlas Shrugged, evil will remain a hazy mist floating just off your line of vision, which you don't look straight at, because you don't WANT it to exist. After reading Atlas Shrugged, evil snaps into sharp focus--and like a bully confronted--ceases to be a fear, and just becomes something distasteful to avoid.

As Rand richly illustrates: Just as eating too much fat can clog up your arteries, thinking "too much fat" can damage with your mental health. Some mental illness is physiological. But most mental illness is caused by unresolved internal contradictions--caused, for example, by refusing to look at evil because you PREFER to believe that it does not exist. Reality is. You do NOT have the option of living in your own private version of reality. Nevertheless, many, perhaps most, people live lives built on thier own complex lies. That turns smart people crazy, and stupid people mean and crazy.

How do you avoid "unresolved internal contradictions"? By knowing the difference between right and wrong, and never, ever, allowing a rotten board to be used in the construction of your mental house. The problem is the old "slippery slope". Lie to yourself just once, no matter how trivial the lie, and the next one will be easier. Before long, you realize that you can justify ANYTHING--and with the blessings of the popular culture. And before you know it, you've lost your soul.

As Rand preaches, the meaning of life is integrity. Living without compromise. To live a life filled with joy and pride in yourself, made possible by being free of mental conflicts. To know, not merely hope, that your mistakes were honest mistakes. To live with the knowledge that you are the best you can be, while striving to be better. To be a joy and comfort to the people you love. To give generously of your time, wealth, and love simply for the joy of doing so. To be a person who has changed the world for the better when you have gone. That's what Atlas Shrugged is really all about. All ofthe other themes, even Communism vs Capitalism are peripheral supporting themes. It is precisely because the fundamental issues are so basic and primary, that the implications are simultaneously universal--applying to all aspects of life.

The greatest real flaw in Atlas Shrugged is that Rand herself does not quite understand how her philosophy applies to inter-personal relationships. All of the heros in the story are flawed characters, because Rand's characters are based on herself, and are flawed because Rand herself was flawed. That is, Rand had such a horrible youth that her ability to love and trust was damaged. In her own flawed vision, she has largely substituted hero worship for love. Rand's heros are real heros to be admired, but not role models to emulate.

You will also find many things with which you will want to disagree, but in your heart, you will know that Rand is right. How you resolve these conflicts will be the most important decision you will make in your entire life. If you choose the truth, simply because it is the truth, then you are on the way to a life of good mental health. If you reject the truth because you PREFER a different vision or interpretation of reality--then you have already begun to lie to yourself, and you will probably have an unhappy life and be a miserable person to live with.


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Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand Leonard Peikoff 8601400311974 Books Reviews

I became aware of this book when I was in my teens, finally read it when I was 30. My life would have been better if I had read it sooner. Buy this for your kids, make sure they read it, then make sure they learn the right things from it.

As literature, this book is just OK, hence the four stars. Rand was not a native English speaker. That she managed to write this well in a second language is amazing. I would have written this book differently, but I didn't write it. Everything after The Big Long Speech is necessary, I suppose, but kind of sophomoric, definitely a B movie. As science fiction, the book is laughable, but I suggest you cut the author some slack and go with it. As an exposition of important ideas, this book has no equal. If you want to know what's wrong with the world, you can start here. It is important that you not *end* here. Think of this book as a laxative. Once you have ingested this, you can work on restocking your mental gut with better food than our culture has given you.

Speaking of speeches, this book has lots of them. I have a friend who says this is her favorite book, but she also says she has never read the speeches. Here's news for you if you haven't read the speeches, you haven't read the book. Knowing her, I suspect that if she read the speeches, it would no longer be her favorite book. Atlas Shrugged is an assault upon your morals. Some people are surprised to learn that their morals deserved to be assaulted. Some never get over the fact of the assault, assuming the problem lies with the author and her infernal book. No. The problem lies with some very old and pervasive ideas that turn out to be senseless, destructive, murderous, and just plain wrong. Some of us sort of knew that all along, but thought we were the only ones who thought so. It's a relief to see this out in the light of day.

I believe the author's strategy is to make you tired. The main character tries way too hard before capitulating, allowing the author to write yet more episodes illustrating the corrupt and coercive muck we wallow in, the stuff you've encountered all your life, perhaps wondering if life really had to be this way. No, it doesn't. The aforementioned Big Long Speech is one of the greatest things ever written. But the author has to soften you up first.

Some people read this and get strange. This is probably to be expected after somebody hits the reset button on their morality. It takes a while to figure out what to do next. A few people never recover, becoming something like Jesus Freaks. Most readers eventually resettle their minds, but in a different place than it would have been if they hadn't read this book.

Still need a reason to read this book? It will help you say No when No needs to be said. It might even save your life. Really.
Atlas Shrugged is a captivating novel. The greatest "shortcoming" is that the book is over 50 years old. The heroine is the vice-president of a major railroad company, and most of the plot revolves around her desperate efforts to keep the railroad going. In the 21st century, when the age of railroads is long past, this is certainly dated. Indeed, Atlas Shrugged, although contemporary when written, takes on the feel of a grand masterful allegory perhaps like Dante, Chaucer, or Swift. It is just as much "fun" as Alice in Wonderland or Gulliver's Travels--and just as serious as the Divine Comedy. Yet, if you listen to a hour of local and national news on TV every evening while reading the book--half of the stories will sound as though they were lifted from the book--so timelessness and universal is Rand's story.

This will probably be the most important book (to you) that you read in your lifetime.

What is it about? It is often described as "Capitalism versus Communism", or "altruism vs selfishness"--but both descriptions seriously miss the point. What this book is really about is much more fundamental. It is about the nature of good and evil, and beyond that, the very meaning of life.

"But I'm a good person, so what value is this book to me?"--you may ask. Answer You have certainly noticed that adult "morality" is full of all kinds of exceptions and contradictions. The truth is, the world of "morality" we adults have constructed is a sham, a fraud. It is no more than "social convention"--which is to say, "what we all more-or-less agree to"--and actually, despite all the "moral" justification, has absolutely nothing to do with morality or right-and-wrong, and often little to do with common sense.

Still, the question remains, "Why isn't simply accepting the current 'social norms' good enough?" "Go along to get along." Answer To put it bluntly, the greatest evil the world has ever seen has been done by folks "accepting community norms" who thought they were doing good, or at least who could justify their actions as being "socially acceptable".

The truth is, you will be quite surprised when you learn the true nature of evil. Until you have read Atlas Shrugged, evil will remain a hazy mist floating just off your line of vision, which you don't look straight at, because you don't WANT it to exist. After reading Atlas Shrugged, evil snaps into sharp focus--and like a bully confronted--ceases to be a fear, and just becomes something distasteful to avoid.

As Rand richly illustrates Just as eating too much fat can clog up your arteries, thinking "too much fat" can damage with your mental health. Some mental illness is physiological. But most mental illness is caused by unresolved internal contradictions--caused, for example, by refusing to look at evil because you PREFER to believe that it does not exist. Reality is. You do NOT have the option of living in your own private version of reality. Nevertheless, many, perhaps most, people live lives built on thier own complex lies. That turns smart people crazy, and stupid people mean and crazy.

How do you avoid "unresolved internal contradictions"? By knowing the difference between right and wrong, and never, ever, allowing a rotten board to be used in the construction of your mental house. The problem is the old "slippery slope". Lie to yourself just once, no matter how trivial the lie, and the next one will be easier. Before long, you realize that you can justify ANYTHING--and with the blessings of the popular culture. And before you know it, you've lost your soul.

As Rand preaches, the meaning of life is integrity. Living without compromise. To live a life filled with joy and pride in yourself, made possible by being free of mental conflicts. To know, not merely hope, that your mistakes were honest mistakes. To live with the knowledge that you are the best you can be, while striving to be better. To be a joy and comfort to the people you love. To give generously of your time, wealth, and love simply for the joy of doing so. To be a person who has changed the world for the better when you have gone. That's what Atlas Shrugged is really all about. All ofthe other themes, even Communism vs Capitalism are peripheral supporting themes. It is precisely because the fundamental issues are so basic and primary, that the implications are simultaneously universal--applying to all aspects of life.

The greatest real flaw in Atlas Shrugged is that Rand herself does not quite understand how her philosophy applies to inter-personal relationships. All of the heros in the story are flawed characters, because Rand's characters are based on herself, and are flawed because Rand herself was flawed. That is, Rand had such a horrible youth that her ability to love and trust was damaged. In her own flawed vision, she has largely substituted hero worship for love. Rand's heros are real heros to be admired, but not role models to emulate.

You will also find many things with which you will want to disagree, but in your heart, you will know that Rand is right. How you resolve these conflicts will be the most important decision you will make in your entire life. If you choose the truth, simply because it is the truth, then you are on the way to a life of good mental health. If you reject the truth because you PREFER a different vision or interpretation of reality--then you have already begun to lie to yourself, and you will probably have an unhappy life and be a miserable person to live with.