Sales of “Atlas Shrugged” Soar in the Face of Economic Crisis

Washington, D.C., February 23, 2009—Sales of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” have almost tripled over the first seven weeks of this year compared with sales for the same period in 2008. This continues a strong trend after bookstore sales reached an all-time annual high in 2008 of about 200,000 copies sold.

23 Comments

  1. I recently re-read Atlas Shrugged after so many years. Just compare the news headlines (from virtually any source) with the social and political environment she describes. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Rand was a keen observer of human nature. She clearly shows us that if we allow our leaders to first dumb us down and then to use greed and envy to divide and conquer us, it will eventually lead to economic and moral ruin and the end of our country as we know it. I wasn’t prepared to be as shocked at how prescient this book really is. Things are not so different now as described in the book. We are rapidly descending into the world she describes in the final chapters. We should all be terrified of what this could lead to. I know I am. That’s my $0.02 worth.

  2. Thanks Catherine and Ed!! I will take a deeper look at Ayn Rand and her work. Incidentally, the Dalai Lama describes someone as “intelligently selfish” who recognizes their interdependence with all existence. Is Rand talking about this? I hope so… I shall see.

  3. Greg:

    Hi please read

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selfishness

    Now if that is a definition of selfishness you are referring to then a deeper more emotional/ cognitive exploration would realize that one who is truly selfish insures that the people around them are well because that facilitates their wellness, the food they eat is very healthy…sustainable and organic, lie and steal only in life threatening situations otherwise those around them would cease interactions making life more difficult. We read or understand definitions by those who agree they should exist for the masses. Think deeply in your formal abstract range and you’ll see it is those that are sociopaths or psychopaths that you are referring to. Besides Ayn Rand promoted a selfishness referred to as: rational or healthy selfishness. Fountainhead is a better book in my opinion. People who a selfish are motivated to improve, advance, be better than others…selfless people are the ones that allowed those in power to maintain power and corrupt that power.Most people you encounter that you may believe are selfish are really not anything but environmentally programed clones that are not very conscious or cognitive…just stimulated for their next football/baseball game, sitcom, hit, sex, night-out, church experience…

  4. Greg:

    Atlas Shrugged is a useful book, particularly for understanding what is happening in Washington right now. I would recommend you read it and judge for yourself.

    Catherine

  5. I don’t get why Ayn Rand is being hyped by Solari. Isn’t she the one who taught us all to be selfish individuals and not notice or interpendence with the entire infiverse? Wasn’t she used to justify the “Regan Revolution”? Someone please enlighten me, thanks!

  6. Interesting Tip, thanks.
    I’ll review the cliff notes from our city library. I’m reading Reinventing collapse : the Soviet example and American prospects by Dmitry Orlov as Solari Report recommended.

    Crossing the Rubicon : the decline of the American empire at the end of the age of oil by Michael C.Ruppert, with your forword was an early read in my grasping for the real map.

    I agree with your focus on movies to provide the reality-ism that we need to GET THE REAL MAP into our perspective. Both resources are providing value.

    Regards,
    Brad

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