So...What is Atlas Shrugged?

Posted by awebb 10 years ago to Entertainment
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*** SPOILER ALERT: If you have not yet read the book, you may want to skip this post. ***

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When asked "What is Atlas Shrugged?", how do you typically respond? An epic novel by Ayn Rand? A story of a dystopian society where the best among us are disappearing? The greatest book ever written?

We're looking for the clearest, most concise, and most compelling answers to help promote the message of Atlas and the film.

So Gulch... what exactly is Atlas Shrugged? Submit a comment on this post with your answer or vote on the answer you think is best. The best answers just might be used on upcoming ASP3 promotional materials and, if your answer is used, you’ll get a special thanks in the credits of the film “Atlas Shrugged: Who is John Galt?”

This is your chance to not only help spread the word about Ayn Rand and what Atlas Shrugged symbolizes but also... to forever be a part of Atlas Shrugged history.

How long should your answer be? No longer than 15 seconds to say/read. Think of it as an “elevator pitch.” Submit as many answers as you like but please submit them as individual comments.

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NOTE: By submitting a comment on this page you agree to the site's terms and conditions and give Atlas Productions, and all of its affiliates, permission to use your submission in any and all promotional material. Read terms and conditions here: http://www.galtsgulchonline.com/terms

All Comments

  • Posted by gowri 10 years ago
    After centuries of struggle, anticipating to encounter a giant as enemy, he discovers it is a molehill he is up against ... so Atlas shrugged .
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  • Posted by Amosley88 10 years ago
    Atlas Shrugged is the daydream of the moral man. It is the ideal of man as his own god. Man creates within himself motivation, love, power and progress. Looters who condemn the hand that feeds are comforted by promises of the creators to guide them; but while they are busy looking to the heavens, Atlas Shrugged breaks the chains of the true creators so that they may visualize a world of their own.
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  • Posted by belyr 10 years ago
    Atlas Shrugged is one of the finest books ever written. After you read the book, you will have had your values questioned to the point where you can ask yourself who you are. Are you a maker or a taker? Honestly knowing the answer about yourself will allow you make informed decisions about you for the rest of your life.
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  • Posted by BeVeryAware 10 years ago
    Atlas Shrugged represents to me the individualist creating the destiny for oneself...if that is creating and working your own ideas and starting a company or just working for somebody who believes in what they do and you believe in the same...it seems to be about standing on principle of mind and thought, with fairness and opportunity for all of those that desire a quality of life way beyond the normal way of life. Life itself is so creating on it's own and should not be abused or lost in the shuffle of actions of every day life....
    We live, right now, in an information rich environment and have more opportunities than ever in the history of mankind. Atlas puts this into words and ideas that work in any time period....Atlas in is not for everybody, not for the masses that seem to follow each other into eternal normality...one does not have to have an education or high IQ to get the Atlas idea...just a desire....
    I think it may be a good time to read, listen and review it again....
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  • Posted by $ Snezzy 10 years ago
    When I asked that question, my friend who had read the book said, "If you want to know what it's about, you'll have to read it yourself. I cannot answer your questions." That particular advice, stressing the importance of individual thought and action, is appropriate for many situations, but particularly for Atlas Shrugged.
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  • Posted by gg1109 10 years ago
    What is Atlas Shrugged? Perhaps, Ayn Rand’s finest work, Atlas Shrugged can be read on many levels. It is a novel, a political theory, an economic strategy, a business approach, a social, moral, and life philosophy.
    As a novel, it is an action-packed, suspenseful story in which the forces of good and evil meet in an ever-growing conflict of values, ideas and actions. Twists and turns of the plot keep you wondering who will win and how the issues will be resolved. A background mystery keeps you wondering what hidden impact it will have on the story. A great, entertaining read!
    The book is much more than an enjoyable work of fiction, however. It looks at political systems, evaluates the true measures of a free society and examines the potential for corruption in the system. It teaches valuable lessons about the nature and key requirements of a free market. It also illustrates the flawed execution when altruism creeps into Capitalism. It is a great primer for basic business principles. Finally it presents a social, moral and life philosophy based on strong convictions about living one’s life with absolute integrity.
    This work contains critical lessons for our times. It is a book to be read and re-read both for enjoyment and for continued examination of the ideas.
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  • Posted by Fountainhead24 10 years ago
    Atlas Shrugged is an in-depth inspirational embodiment of the human ethos personified in fictional heroic characters whose motivation is to produce! They value their mind, life and their integrity and will stand up to any and all antagonists to achieve their goals.
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  • Posted by straightlinelogic 10 years ago
    When the men and women of the mind go on strike, there are no pickets at the factory gate. There are no factories, production lines, inventions, or jobs. Atlas Shrugged shows the bleak consequences when the mind demands its due and doesn’t get it. Prophetic when written in 1957, it now stands as a clarion call to action. The message is as clear as John Galt tracing the sign of the dollar over the “desolate earth”: meet the strikers’ demands, or watch what's left of civilization collapse.
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  • Posted by conscious1978 10 years ago
    If you have ever been proud of what you accomplished; if you have ever smiled when you received a well-earned a paycheck; if the actions of many politicians in Washington, locally, or around the world strike you as legitimized insanity; if others have insulted you because of your achievements; if there have been times you wondered "what right does anyone have to demand what I made?" Then, the epic story of how a few men exposed the twisted nature of a culture's moral code will resonate within you! Their heroic actions and thoughts give a clear, honest voice to men and women willing to think for themselves and build a new future. Experience what would happen to the world if Atlas Shrugged.
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  • Posted by $ Susanne 10 years ago
    Atlas Shrugged... is a profound work of literature that has the power to open ones mind, change one's philosophy, and allow one to see - and live - life in a very real, very rational sense.
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  • Posted by LaissezFaire 10 years ago
    Economic freedom results in improvements in standard of living, while large government and a society in which collective interests are valued more than the individuals' takes away incentive of the producers and thinkers to continue working. The novel, originally fiction but more and more non-fiction, illustrates the importance of the men of the mind on our economy when they decide to go on strike.
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  • Posted by Temlakos 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    I'll go along with that, with some slight revision of the first of the three lines you want to keep.
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  • Posted by edweaver 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    I was thinking on the same line and then saw your post. Could not be said better, or be more true.
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  • Posted by SolitudeIsBliss 10 years ago in reply to this comment.
    Love my big copy. I loved re-reading certain quotes and passages, highlighting my favorite ones and paperclip marking the pages for future reference.
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