ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand
(Original Version: Random House: New York, New York. 1957. 1087 pages.)
(Modern Paperback Version: Signet: New York, New York. 1996. 1075 pages.)
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Artist: Nicholas Gaetano. The above picture is Copyright � 1992 Signet Books, Inc. Used With Permission.
Who is John Galt?
In the not-too-distant future, the world is a Utopia in which the most wealthy industrialists willingly become selfless servants of the community, instead of serving just themselves. With all of the world in this state, it seems that all is fine. . . and, yet, it is not . . .
No one understands it, but there is something terribly wrong at the core of this society . . . and a catastrophe of insurmountable magnitude and of unthinkable origins is unfolding before the eyes of all, yet somehow manages to stay hidden. This is an apocalypse brought about, not by the Wrath of God, pollution, or any natural disaster. Rather, the problem is far more fearful and closer to home: People are becoming less and less competent, while all of the world's great minds are disappearing.
As soon as the fate of the world is put on the shoulders of a coal industrialist, he shrugs. He simply disappears without explanation. The same thing happens with many geniuses, among them entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, philosophers, and bankers. The few thinkers who remain in public view behave strangely and are of no help to the population: tycoon Ellis Wyatt sets his own oil fields on fire. Francisco d'Anconia, the head of copper-mining firm, has stopped working to become an unproductive playboy. Ragnar Danneskjold, a philosopher, puts his metaphysical inquiries aside to become a pirate who raids government relief ships. Hugh Akston, the last philsophy professor to advocate Reason, has given up his post at a prestigious university to fry hamburgers in a diner.
What is going on here?!! asks Dagny Taggart -- a brilliant and beautiful woman who manages a transcontinental railroad alongside her incompetent but "socially responsible" brother James Taggart. Both Dagny and her lover -- Hank Rearden, an ingenious inventor of a new alloy -- suspect that what is draining the brains of the world is some sort of conscious, sinister agent whose agenda is to cause the collapse of civlization as we know it, simply by persuading the world's geniuses to stop serving humanity. Who or what is he? What is his purpose? What is he trying to prove?. Regardless of his intentions, this shady character grows ever closer to accomplishing his diabolical mission. In such times of despair, people ask an old rhetorical question: "Who is John Galt?" Is this John Galt character the hidden menace calling forth some sort of mind strike, or will he show up instead to save the world from its Destroyer? Actually, the specific answer will shock you.
In the end, it looks like only Dagny and Rearden can save the planet by preventing the remaining geniuses from vanishing. But what is there left to save? The "Aristocrats of Pull" who have gained wealthy through government favoritism and graft instead of through the free market? What of the philosophy professors who tell their students that there is no such thing as objective reality? Or what about the religious leaders who demand the negation of self-esteem? What will happen to them? The answer may come as a surprise.
This the most exciting and original story I have ever come across. It features a man who is tortured because he refuses to be America's dictator, a group of heroic conspirators, an Atlantis-like civilization in the middle of a desert, a trial in which the accused tells off his accusers and wins, the destruction of civilization as we know it, and the dawning of the New Age of Man. This story blew my mind in every way possible.
At first I was intimidated by its 1075 page length, but it turned out to be the most easily readable tome I've digsted, and I finished it in a month. Also, I found myself cheering out loud for the heroes while I read. It is tale of the mind against those who say there is no mind, of reason vs. faith, rational self-interest vs. Altruism, and the free market vs. state control over the economy. But it is more than that. It is an epic tale of seamlessly blended adventure, romance, conspiracy, drama, economics, science fiction, philosophy, action, satire, mystery, and even some humor.
This is a controversial story that one will either love or hate -- I never met anyone who reacted to it that was in between the two extremes. According to a poll asking Americans which book most influenced their lives the most, this very book was second only to the Bible. Actually, I'd prefer it to be first, but being the second-most influential book in America is still no easy feat, beating both The Catcher in the Rye and A Tale of Two Cities. So get ready for a journey of psychological insights and physical thrills, for this epic will picque your curiosity, challenge your innermost beliefs, and guide you through the twists and turns of the most culturally ambitious work of fiction to come out of the twentieth century. The end of the world has never before been so much fun!!
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The written material on this page, unless otherwise noted, is Copyright � 1999 Stuart K. Hayashi, and may not be reproduced by any means without his written consent. All Rights Reserved.