In a dystopian future where government overreach stifles individual innovation, "Atlas Shrugged" follows the journey of Dagny Taggart, a fierce railroad executive. As the world's most talented individuals mysteriously vanish, Dagny must confront the philosophical implications of her society's moral decay. The novel introduces readers to the enigmatic John Galt, whose radical ideas challenge the status quo. With a gripping narrative and thought-provoking dilemmas, Rand explores themes of capitalism, personal agency, and the role of government. Will Dagny and her allies awaken a society on the brink of collapse, or will they succumb to the weight of obligation?
By Ayn Rand
Published: 1999
"The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me."
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. Who is John Galt? When he says that he will stop the motor of the world, is he a destroyer or a liberator? Why does he have to fight his battles not against his enemies but against those who need him most? Why does he fight his hardest battle against the woman he loves? You will know the answer to these questions when you discover the reason behind the baffling events that play havoc with the lives of the amazing men and women in this book. You will discover why a productive genius becomes a worthless playboy...why a great steel industrialist is working for his own destruction...why a composer gives up his career on the night of his triumph...why a beautiful woman who runs a transcontinental railroad falls in love with the man she has sworn to kill. Atlas Shrugged, a modern classic and Rand’s most extensive statement of Objectivism—her groundbreaking philosophy—offers the reader the spectacle of human greatness, depicted with all the poetry and power of one of the twentieth century’s leading artists.
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“The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.”
Atlas Shrugged
By Ayn Rand
Discover a world of knowledge through our extensive collection of book summaries.
Ayn Rand (1905-1982) was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, and playwright, best known for her influential works promoting individualism and capitalism through her philosophy of Objectivism. Rand's most notable novels include 'The Fountainhead' (1943), which follows the life of an innovative architect, and 'Atlas Shrugged' (1957), a dystopian narrative that examines the role of individualism in society and the consequences of government overreach. Her writing style is characterized by its strong narrative structure, detailed character development, and philosophical dialogue, often embedded in grand themes of human achievement and moral absolutism. Rand's ideas have sparked extensive debate and have left a lasting impact on the fields of literature, philosophy, and politics.
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