LATEST POLL: ATLAS SHRUGGED READ BY 8.1%

Freestar Media ^ | November 3, 2008 | Logan Darrow Clements

[lonevoice]

According to a poll jointly conducted by the Library of Congress and the Book of the Month Club some years ago, Atlas Shrugged is the second most influential book after the Bible. Some of the people whose opinions I most respect list it as one of the books that had the greatest influence on them, among them Rush Limbaugh.

[HKMk23]

The author supposes that the world would be a better place if we all acted in our own greedy self interests. Isn't that in direct contradiction to that other book you mention - the Bible?

Think about it. Both philosophies cannot be true.

Rand completely missed the fact that the tenets of The Bible are the indispensable elements that PREVENT self-interest from becoming greedy. Our entire economic system; the "invisible hand" of the Free Market requires self-interest to function, BUT if we would have it not merely function, but soar free of the detrimental friction that is corruption, then that self-interest MUST be tempered with Biblical principles that enable the soul to see, think, and feel beyond self to the needs and interests of others.

Call it "godly self-interest", but it suffuses the quest to provide for self and immediate family, with that peculiarly Biblical "Good Samaritan" awareness that empowers us to discern when to subjugate our plan to meet the needs of self to a plan that addresses the more urgent needs of someone else, and enlivens us to do it NOT because we HAVE TO, but because we — out of gratefulness to The Almighty for His grace upon our own lives — truly WANT to bless Him, by our acts of selfLESSness.

[Cacique]

btt

[snowrip]

It is as if Ayn Rand looked into the future and began describing the very path we are now on.

She is able to do that because the shape, mission, and result of socialism never changes: the result will be the same no matter where or when it takes over. Evil is the same way. She did an amazing job of illustrating how both would work on America.

[Poser]

I’m beginning to feel like I’m John Galt. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow morning.

[snowrip]

The cornerstone of Objectivism isn’t greed; it is rational self-interest. Add to that the individual freedom to achieve without exploitation, and you have two of the most powerful facets of the philosophy.

Rand did not have a “hatred” of God, either. What she had was a hatred towards what she called “mysticism”, or the abandonment of reason for religion when it came to governing societies or economies.

[since1868]

Dont believe it. I work with 40 professionals (sales) more then half have a degree and not one has read Atlas Shrugged.
Well Ive read it twice.

[tpanther]

I’ve tried really hard to read it twice and never made it 1/3 the way through.

[ChiMark]

I am a “John Galt”. Absolutely appropriate now. Before I read this post my
determination was set in stone tonight.

[Gorzaloon]

“Who is John Galt?”

I am. I Shrugged two years ago, walked out of a Fortune 500, and am running my own business.

I'll spare you the other sixteen pages! :-)

[BillyBoy]

>> It should be required reading in high schools across the country............... <<

I was required to read "Anthem" by the oh-so-wonderful Ayn Rand in my senior of year of High School (and I went to a public school)

I found it mind-numbingly boring and stupid.

[Revolting cat!]

No wonder. Bombastic prose is unreadable!

[Red Badger]

I was required to read “Catcher in the Rye” AND “The Sun Also Rises” in HS.

I found both mind-numbingly boring and stupid.......

[Windcatcher]

I’m halfway through it, and I’m just floored. I feel like I have a much clearer, deeper understanding of the nature of liberalism, the mindset that creates it, and the evil it represents. I’m beginning to believe that the best service we could do would be to give a copy to at least one friend.

[IM2MAD]

I’m beginning to believe that the best service we could do would be to give a copy to at least one friend.

And get the book into libraries.