“Who is John Galt?” I’ve been asking myself that a lot over the last few weeks. Well, more than 1000 pages later, both that question and the world we’re living in are starting to make a whole lot more sense.
This is simply a book you must read yourself. It’s a compelling narrative, that can stir deep thinking about humanity and change (or confirm) your perspective of what it means to really produce. It’s timely, given where America is headed politically these days.
I’ve heard about Rand’s novels for years, and have been urged by close friends (including my wife) to read them. I knew they had philosophical undertones, but they always seemed to get trumped by more obviously compelling material.
That changed over the last few months when Atlas started cropping up for me everywhere. I noticed it in blogs I follow, in business texts I was studying, even in the mainstream media. It was time to read it (and I wasn’t alone, see this Wall Street Journal article about a recent spike in sales). I wasn’t disappointed.
There are several speeches in the book that you’ll undoubtedly dog-ear to reread in the future, particularly Francisco d’Anconia’s about money (rather than quote it at length, you can read an excerpt here). It’s the kind of story you’ll want to read twice, and I eagerly await that opportunity.
Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged