Great video Ian! As a Christian, I especially love Christian commentators who can still be open minded - we need more of that! So often, Christians are all lumped together as hateful & bigoted.
I have to admit, I grew up in the church and often felt cornered and attacked by my teachers and fellow classmates. I was even kicked out of the school eventually because they said they didn’t have time to convert and they were looking for disciples of Christ and I wasn’t it. I wasn’t a bad kid, I just had questions. People like Ian though have me seriously considering trying out a new church. I’m still not fully into the religious aspect of it but I’m willing to hear them out.
@@ECA-14 I have been in churches all my life and have never experienced issues such as these although have heard plenty of stories. It blows my mind. Any Christian that would treat someone like this or be hateful isn't living up to what Jesus taught. I am sorry this happened to you!
I am a theologian...and also a church goer...and also not...straight anyway...ha e you met a Southern Baptist? My parents are SB and as much as I love them the whole Evangelical gospel is hatred and heresy...
@@j.r.cilliangreen4083 I am always accepting and open to all people and their faiths, but I've experienced the most hateful vile things from southern baptists that I call neighbors and even friends. I try to never judge but sometimes it hits you like a bag of bricks with how shocking and confidently hateful they are... and half our conversations seem to just be focused on spewing hatred and judgement. I've never had this issue with any other Christian denomination.
23:00 I'm an atheist and still watch your channel and listen to what you have to say. I don't agree but I think the world could benefit from being open minded. As long as you're not harming anyone, how you live and believe is your business, not mine. 💕 Loved this video.
When I saw the video title, I thought you were going to read Mein Kampf. 😂 Don't be afraid to talk about controversial books. We love whatever you post and will continue to support you!
As an agnostic animist who does not believe in a singular or omnibenevolent supreme being I just want to say-- I think it's great that you have faith and find fulfillment and happiness through that faith.
Seeing these comments makes me happy. I think both sides are often scared of even just… having a conversation about literally anything with the other because they’re afraid it might turn into a fight about beliefs. I think conversations can lead to conversations about beliefs and I think it’s totally normal for both parties to have a nice and civil discussion. I think it’s normal and okay if both parties walk away still friends, even if they agree to disagree. I may be a Christian, but becoming your friend to MAKE you one isn’t my prerogative. I’m your friend before I’m anything else. If you ever want to ask me about my faith, I’m happy to share. I might even drop my own takes on matters that I see through the lens of someone who believes in a God. But I’m not shaking you down and dumping you if you don’t agree with my beliefs!
Thanks so much for this! I read Atlas Shrugged a long time ago before I was aware it was such a controversial work or of anyone’s thoughts on it - but I remember being compelled and disgusted and intrigued, all over the place really. But it’s stuck in my memory all these years. I feel like at the end of the day, it’s really helpful to read books that you don’t know if you agree with, or that you know for a fact you DON’T agree with. Reading an book isn’t subscribing to the author’s philosophy, it’s examining it :) Thanks for the video! (And I feel your pain at the John Galt monologue!)
We need more readers like you Ian. Putting our differences aside is fundamental to the reading experience. I like to think we don’t seek out new worlds to be vindicated that ours is supreme. If I hadn’t read people I wildly disagreed with, I don’t think I would have cultivated the humility to grow and the tenacity to become better everyday.
Congratulations on finishing that monster! I have read Atlas Shrugged multiple times throughout my life, but I still remember my struggles the first time through. I agree with your thoughts on her writing style and the beautiful gems that are sprinkled throughout. This book did change my outlook on certain aspects of my life, and helped me to grow my mind. Hank Reardon is my favorite character by far. He comes across as the most human out of them all. The quote that I took and applied to my outlook is actually about him. "He saw an evening when he sat slumped across his desk in that office.... He had burned everything there was to burn within him; he had scattered so many sparks to start so many things--and he wondered whether someone could give him now the spark he needed, now when he felt unable ever to rise again. He asked himself who had started him and kept him going. Then he raised his head. Slowly, with the greatest effort of his life, he made his body rise until he was able to sit upright with only one hand pressed to the desk and a trembling arm to support him. He never asked that question again.” Politics, character development and the long ass Galt speech aside there is beauty here, you just have to slog through to find it. Job well done Ian!
Loved this video of yours, honestly would love it if you could do videos like these every once in a while with classics, hearing your opinions on some of these famous/infamous books would be so much fun.
This may be a book I never read, but I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on it! The addition of some quotes and analysis added a nice touch to it and I'd love to see that done with some of the future chunky books you read 📚 😊
This is such a timely and relevant book to read - and I think you will quite enjoy the irony of people telling you not to. These kind of people are represented in this book😂
I've heard of this book throughout my life, and I just don't have the time/desire to read it, BUT...watching you do the heavy lifting and read it for me (thank you), I have been spared this torture. I'll pass, but glad that you gained "something" from it, but what you had to go through for the pittance of good, in my eyes...might not have been the best use of your time (subjectively from my POV), but thank you so that I don't have to read it. I'm okay saying that I haven't read, nor have any interest TO read this book. Thank you, thank you, thank you. BTW, my wife and I are enjoying your perspectives within your videos. Much appreciated.
I'll bet most people who hate of this book haven't read it. This is not a defense of the book or of Rand in any way. I'm just appalled by the book burning sentiment.
I recommend Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames as a pallete cleanser! 😊 I really think you'd like it. The author has alot of nods to 70's rock within the book!
I dont see whats so wrong with her from the short summary I read. She had beliefs I might disagree with, but so does Marx and others people love to praise.
I love your videos so much and I hope you keep making them! I binged them all in one day as soon as I discovered you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!!
I can see people either loving or hating it. But I didn't realize it was controversial. I both loved and hated it. I hated the bad dialogue and the literal (as in LITERAL) speechifying that went on and on and on and on. It felt like it would never, ever end. I thought I would die before it was over. I hated the stupid love story and "twist" and the morality of it all. Ugh. But I loved how she made me see cities in a way that I never had before. I'm city born & bred. But I've had this obsession since childhood of living in The Country. I don't even know what I would do there, since I have no clue how to live in that environment. I can barely keep houseplants alive, let alone do farming or raise animals. I blame it on too much Little House on the Prairie. (Both books and TV show.) She made me see that it's really kind of a miracle how people take raw land (if you dumped me there, I'd be dead in a few days) and make it into something livable, with everything from homes to electric systems to indoor plumbing and grocery stores and all the rest. That's incredible if you really think about it! That has stayed with me permanently. For that, I'm thankful.
When I saw the thumbnail, the blurry book looked like Credence, and I was very impressed by your bravery. This is controversial too, though, so it all works out in the end. :D
I read Atlas Shrugged during High School and HATED IT. I don't remember why and I'm scared of a reread. Nice job that you tackled that beast of a novel.
Hey! I have an idea for you, a vlog where you go to the library and picking up allllll the books you want! 😂 Your local library OR an any library you have access to (county library or something). 😊
I agree. My old eyes get tired very quickly these days. What am I supposed to do? Give up on books? Absolutely not! I listen to some kind narrators reading the books out loud for me so I can carry on enjoying books. 😊
They don’t count as reading. Because you’re not reading. Count them any other way you want though. I’m all for audiobooks though. They have great value.
I listen and read, sometimes the same book. If asked, I wouldn’t be able to tell you whether I read the book or listened to it. It hits the same part of my brain. It was storytelling and the spoken word for millennia before there were books. There’s something to hearing a story.
I was so excited for you to read this. I read it in November, strictly for the story, yes, but I can totally agree on how you feel about the whole philosophy thing. Seems like she wants to shove it down the readers throat (especially later on with a certain characters’ 40 page speech 🙄). I’m a Christian also - so I found a lot of her reasoning very selfish. I can agree that people should find their happiness, but there is so much more to life (especially in Jesus!). Her storytelling was ok, dialogue was rough at times, but yes, it is an interesting story. Love this!!
"That is when one should appreciate the meaning of a man" It just came out of left field, I giggled. It sounded like ramblings of a mad man or in the authors case, woman. That "stick to the subject lady" just made me chuckle more...
Very good video, I'd say it's your best one so far. Love how you quoted and discussed the parts of the book that were meaningful and insightful to you. Keep it up :)
I used to work at barnes and noble. I JUDGED ayn rand readers, not because i assumed they LOVED her, but because they were giving her state their money. I understand having to read different books for the sake of variety
I've not read any of her philosophy or essays but read Anthem once and The Fountainhead three times. Couldn't read Atlas Shrugged though I started it many times. I was surprised to learn Ayn Rand was friends with Mickey Spillane.
I miss you friend! I agree with another sentiment I saw earlier. I’m an atheist myself but I still love you and Ash because you two can be open-minded. I love you guys! Hope you guys had a great 4th!!
I love that you read and review so many different genres! Always enjoy your videos. As for Ayn Rand, I’ll not be rushing right out to read her books lol.
I much preferred the Fountainhead but have read AS twice now. I rather enjoyed it. I was pleased that this was the selection and not The Satanic Verses.
It is the first time I noticed your huge beard, despite having watched all of your videos. I think I just encountered a Mandela effect 🤣 I guess I was always just focused on the books. Hehe. Thanks for introducing the book. I have never heard of it or the author.
As an atheist I would agree with all 4 pillars of objectivism. Reality is true, reason is the only source of knowledge (I actually can't imagine how this could not be that way), individualism is the highest priority and most of the times capitslism is general good for the society. As for "but she got mad" - of course, morals exist even in individualism. You can hold to your own moral standards and get mad at people for doing particular things. It just means that there's no higher power or law than your own individual laws and maybe laws of your country.. Which is created by individuals according to their needs, not some mystical powers. From my point, building your personality and life values from fear is a very sad and masochistic thing.
I have the paperback and e versions of “Atlas Shrugged.” Haven’t read it yet because of its length, but the print was small in the paperback when I bought it back in 2017 and it won’t have gotten larger in the meantime 🥺!
Hello Ian, This was Fun as well as very interesting, I am a Christian. yes, The fear of the LORD is The Beginning of True Wisdom, and when ever I read books by authors lets say who have problems with religion and God I hold fast to what I know and truly believe. i started to read Atlas shrugged and gave up because of the rambling and quality of conversation in the first few pages but I read the Fountain Head and I loved it (some part of it) I have problems with Ayn rand in the way she portrays women and her whole point of view on God and religion is Childish. anyways Thanks you have inspired me to pick up and finish this book.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽😎😎😎 everyone is entitled to their own opinion on weather you have read the book or not but curiosity always wins at some point and why not see for yourself self what actually is the big deal. I enjoyed you gave ur opinion in a way to not judge in either direction 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
So, I never read Atlas Shrugged but I read Fountainhead many, many years ago. And just like you, I found SO MUCH OF IT to be drivel - but then she would hit me SO HARD with random lines. One of my top five fave quotes actually comes from that book ("The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.”) At some point I want to give Ayn Rand a chance as an adult to see how my feelings have changed. Great video!
I bought that book at a second-hand bookstore without knowing anything about Rand. Afterwards, I searched her online and had serious doubts about reading her book. But now I'm even more curious to read it!
Wow.. I am so glad you did that for me. I knew she was very controversial. I also know that The Fountain Head also brought visceral reactions from readers. I will stay in my safe zone of reading 😂😂😂
For a second, I thought it was going to be the bible😂 Anyway, very interesting video! I appreciate booktubers that don't just read new & popular books and expand their views.
Thank you for making this video. I have been considering reading this book. This video made me decide against it. Reason being I struggle with understanding conversation as it is. I would be completely lost.
If you ever read the Wheel of time there is a chapter in the final book that’s 189 pages long in the edition I have. It is one of the greatest chapters I’ve ever read.
I read that book for my daughter, she was supposed to read it for a class, lol. I really enjoyed it and actually understood what it was about. Good book.
I had the unique experience of somehow being ignorant of Rand and her politics when I read Atlas Shrugged. My thoughts were that the book made its point in the first few hundred pages....and then just keeps on going. It exhorts an ideology that is supposedly applicable to the real world, yet it invents a fantasy reality in order to make it work. Sorry if that is too political, I promise I am restraining myself.
Hey ian, i dig your channel 👍 You gave atlas shrugged a fair treatment, i would be curious to hear your thoughts on stefan molyneux's novels. I dont think anyone else will mention these to you, so they are sort of niche but i think theyre some of the best novels ive ever read. Molyneux used to be an objectivist, then later became a voluntarist. He is primarily a philosopher, but in his heart he is an artist. He began his life as a public intellectual promoting atheism, but has since developed a deep respect for Christianity - which is made most apparent when he collaborates with the christian scholar dr. Duke pesta. His book the god of atheists examines the family and corruption in three domains; tech, boy bands, and moral philosophy. His book almost is a historical fiction that covers a family through ww1 and ww2. His book just poor examines the industrial revolution, sentiments towards the poor, and aristocracy. His book the future is a scifi utopian novel where a peaceful free society has been established and how it would deal with justice. His book the present is a prequel to the future which examines journalistic integrity, men's rights, economics and has been called a love letter to Christianity by the author. Ill link his books below which are all available for free in various formats, including audiobook where the author acts out the book with different accents. freedomainplaylists.com/books/ Anyways, keep up the good work ❤️
It's really coincidental that this video ended up on my feed because I started reading the just a month or two ago. From what I knew of Rand, we wouldn't have gotten along lol. But...what I did appreciate in her writing was that while story centered around wealthy characters, she painted those who who worked more menial labor in a positive light and they were appreciated for their work. Unfortunately, the book was much too preachy for me to finish it and I found most of the characters unrelateable.😅
Awesome vlog 💯‼️ thank you for reading this book as a person is very intimidated by very chunky books. I appreciate your commentary. Also I have started reading Stephen King I read his book Elevation and it was nice because it was a very short book but it made me fall asleep 😴 I had great nap thanks to it. Then I started Mr Mercedes and I made it to chapter 4 before I return the book to the library because it was dragging on . I have IT next and I am scared that it will also be super slow. Should return it or should just jump into IT ? Is it worth the slowness ? 😅
I want you to read a book you briefly read in a previous challenge Called Legends and Lattes I would really like your opinion on it. FYI it is a fantasy 😊
Wild lollllll I started Atlas Shrugged years ago. I don't wanna know her personal life but Atlas shrugged was one of the few books I couldn't read. It was lame. Fountainhead however was one of my favorites of all time.
It's okay to engage with material you don't agree with philosophically or politically. The internet brings out the worst in people and it's best to ignore those types of comments.
Great review and very fair. I am a fan of Atlas Shrugged(and I'm not from the "side of the aisle" that claims this book as their 2nd Bible 😉). More than anything I LOVED Dagny Taggart. As a male feminist, I loved how strong she was... Running a railroad company as a female in a male dominated world. If she had not been in the book, I would have never finished. And yes, that monologue was a lot to read 🤦🏻♂
Yes! Read controversial books! When someone tells me not to read an author because of his or her political affiliation, philosophy or world view it makes me want to read it even more. I'm strong enough mentally and strong enough in my faith in the Lord not to be swayed by someone's world views, but reading is a beautiful human experience, and if we don't broaden our horizons with books we're going to end up being so short sighted.
Christianity aside, we don't only learn from reason, we also learn from experience. Individualism strikes me as selfish and narrow minded. Great video!
My best friend read Atlas Shrugged, and he said it changed his life. I tried to read it and thought it was the most boring book I’ve ever read. I only made it through 200 pages and gave up. I recently found it at a thrift store and bought again so I can try rereading it.
Interestingly, the other day I saw a short of Mike Wallace interviewing Ayan Rand discussing taxation. If you're curious the channel was David Khait. There's nothing wrong with listening to the audiobook and following along. Studies have shown that by doing immersion reading, you can retain more information. It's kinda interesting.
People feel the need to let their disapproval be known whenever Rand's name comes up. Her moral philosophy is incongruous with the universal human aspiration towards philanthropy- so what? At least she was interesting enough to conceive of a distinct moral philosophy.
Good for you Ian! Now you know why she’s so controversial or not depending on your opinion. I tried reading it could not finish it, or maybe just didn’t want to, and watched the Atlas Shrugged movie, I left confused on why just why lol. I’m glad you got something from it 🙂
All I have to say about this is that it would take me one year to write a 1168 page book, and in order to make the book that big I'd have to write like five subplots.
Thank you for this was drawn too because it's a big book but I'd hate this book so taking it off my tbr list. I'm not religious but not a atheist either I'm open minded too all.
I think it’s important to read all sides to understand all sides, you don’t have to agree, you just have to understand both sides.
Such a rare position to have nowadays. So common in prior generations. Progress, eh?
Great video Ian! As a Christian, I especially love Christian commentators who can still be open minded - we need more of that! So often, Christians are all lumped together as hateful & bigoted.
I have to admit, I grew up in the church and often felt cornered and attacked by my teachers and fellow classmates. I was even kicked out of the school eventually because they said they didn’t have time to convert and they were looking for disciples of Christ and I wasn’t it. I wasn’t a bad kid, I just had questions. People like Ian though have me seriously considering trying out a new church. I’m still not fully into the religious aspect of it but I’m willing to hear them out.
@@ECA-14 I have been in churches all my life and have never experienced issues such as these although have heard plenty of stories. It blows my mind. Any Christian that would treat someone like this or be hateful isn't living up to what Jesus taught. I am sorry this happened to you!
Christians have been, and always will be, Christianity's worst enemy
I am a theologian...and also a church goer...and also not...straight anyway...ha e you met a Southern Baptist? My parents are SB and as much as I love them the whole Evangelical gospel is hatred and heresy...
@@j.r.cilliangreen4083 I am always accepting and open to all people and their faiths, but I've experienced the most hateful vile things from southern baptists that I call neighbors and even friends. I try to never judge but sometimes it hits you like a bag of bricks with how shocking and confidently hateful they are... and half our conversations seem to just be focused on spewing hatred and judgement. I've never had this issue with any other Christian denomination.
23:00 I'm an atheist and still watch your channel and listen to what you have to say. I don't agree but I think the world could benefit from being open minded. As long as you're not harming anyone, how you live and believe is your business, not mine. 💕 Loved this video.
He's religious? Haven't seen/heard it yet.
When I saw the video title, I thought you were going to read Mein Kampf. 😂 Don't be afraid to talk about controversial books. We love whatever you post and will continue to support you!
This was my first thought to
😂😂😂😂😂 glad I wasn’t the only one !!!
I read Mein Kampf 50 years ago (when it was available in libraries!). If you venture down that rabbit hole, be prepared to be very very bored! 😴😴😴
i thought lolita
Or Harry Potter 😂for some reason I don't know everybody online seems to hate the author now.
@@TheApplesauce1992 I thought Lolita too
Go read some Stephen King--you earned it!
As an agnostic animist who does not believe in a singular or omnibenevolent supreme being I just want to say--
I think it's great that you have faith and find fulfillment and happiness through that faith.
Seeing these comments makes me happy. I think both sides are often scared of even just… having a conversation about literally anything with the other because they’re afraid it might turn into a fight about beliefs. I think conversations can lead to conversations about beliefs and I think it’s totally normal for both parties to have a nice and civil discussion. I think it’s normal and okay if both parties walk away still friends, even if they agree to disagree.
I may be a Christian, but becoming your friend to MAKE you one isn’t my prerogative. I’m your friend before I’m anything else. If you ever want to ask me about my faith, I’m happy to share. I might even drop my own takes on matters that I see through the lens of someone who believes in a God. But I’m not shaking you down and dumping you if you don’t agree with my beliefs!
Thanks so much for this! I read Atlas Shrugged a long time ago before I was aware it was such a controversial work or of anyone’s thoughts on it - but I remember being compelled and disgusted and intrigued, all over the place really. But it’s stuck in my memory all these years. I feel like at the end of the day, it’s really helpful to read books that you don’t know if you agree with, or that you know for a fact you DON’T agree with. Reading an book isn’t subscribing to the author’s philosophy, it’s examining it :) Thanks for the video! (And I feel your pain at the John Galt monologue!)
Fun fact: Ken Levine read this book and it inspired him to make Bioshock.
I would never leave your channel just because of a book you are reading or want to read! That’s just ridiculous!
We need more readers like you Ian. Putting our differences aside is fundamental to the reading experience. I like to think we don’t seek out new worlds to be vindicated that ours is supreme. If I hadn’t read people I wildly disagreed with, I don’t think I would have cultivated the humility to grow and the tenacity to become better everyday.
Well said!
I read this book 40 years ago and decided this book needed a better editor. Around a 400 page better editor!
Congratulations on finishing that monster! I have read Atlas Shrugged multiple times throughout my life, but I still remember my struggles the first time through. I agree with your thoughts on her writing style and the beautiful gems that are sprinkled throughout. This book did change my outlook on certain aspects of my life, and helped me to grow my mind. Hank Reardon is my favorite character by far. He comes across as the most human out of them all. The quote that I took and applied to my outlook is actually about him. "He saw an evening when he sat slumped across his desk in that office.... He had burned everything there was to burn within him; he had scattered so many sparks to start so many things--and he wondered whether someone could give him now the spark he needed, now when he felt unable ever to rise again. He asked himself who had started him and kept him going. Then he raised his head. Slowly, with the greatest effort of his life, he made his body rise until he was able to sit upright with only one hand pressed to the desk and a trembling arm to support him. He never asked that question again.” Politics, character development and the long ass Galt speech aside there is beauty here, you just have to slog through to find it. Job well done Ian!
Loved this video of yours, honestly would love it if you could do videos like these every once in a while with classics, hearing your opinions on some of these famous/infamous books would be so much fun.
This may be a book I never read, but I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on it! The addition of some quotes and analysis added a nice touch to it and I'd love to see that done with some of the future chunky books you read 📚 😊
Whoa another video already, whoop whoop nice 😊👍 I'm happy
This is such a timely and relevant book to read - and I think you will quite enjoy the irony of people telling you not to. These kind of people are represented in this book😂
EXACTLY! I was dumbfounded often while reading, because it was so on the nose with today’s social climate!
I've heard of this book throughout my life, and I just don't have the time/desire to read it, BUT...watching you do the heavy lifting and read it for me (thank you), I have been spared this torture. I'll pass, but glad that you gained "something" from it, but what you had to go through for the pittance of good, in my eyes...might not have been the best use of your time (subjectively from my POV), but thank you so that I don't have to read it. I'm okay saying that I haven't read, nor have any interest TO read this book. Thank you, thank you, thank you. BTW, my wife and I are enjoying your perspectives within your videos. Much appreciated.
Never heard of the book so when I saw the title I was thinking of quite a few considering news, book community, and etc.. Goal accomplished great job!
I loved how you broke it down for us. Definitely not a book I'd be reading any time soon.... or ever 😂
I'll bet most people who hate of this book haven't read it. This is not a defense of the book or of Rand in any way. I'm just appalled by the book burning sentiment.
Yes! Another post from my fav booktuber 🎉
I recommend Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames as a pallete cleanser! 😊 I really think you'd like it. The author has alot of nods to 70's rock within the book!
I'm legit fixing to start reading this book tomorrow. I can't wait!! It's been on my list since I got into reading back in late April.
I dont see whats so wrong with her from the short summary I read. She had beliefs I might disagree with, but so does Marx and others people love to praise.
I love your videos so much and I hope you keep making them! I binged them all in one day as soon as I discovered you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!!
Ian when he sees a thick novel:
I like em big, I like em chunky. 🤣
I'm glad your open about your Christianity on your channel, it's so important that we share our Faith
I can see people either loving or hating it. But I didn't realize it was controversial. I both loved and hated it. I hated the bad dialogue and the literal (as in LITERAL) speechifying that went on and on and on and on. It felt like it would never, ever end. I thought I would die before it was over. I hated the stupid love story and "twist" and the morality of it all. Ugh.
But I loved how she made me see cities in a way that I never had before. I'm city born & bred. But I've had this obsession since childhood of living in The Country. I don't even know what I would do there, since I have no clue how to live in that environment. I can barely keep houseplants alive, let alone do farming or raise animals. I blame it on too much Little House on the Prairie. (Both books and TV show.)
She made me see that it's really kind of a miracle how people take raw land (if you dumped me there, I'd be dead in a few days) and make it into something livable, with everything from homes to electric systems to indoor plumbing and grocery stores and all the rest. That's incredible if you really think about it! That has stayed with me permanently. For that, I'm thankful.
When I saw the thumbnail, the blurry book looked like Credence, and I was very impressed by your bravery. This is controversial too, though, so it all works out in the end. :D
It's so important to read and learn other kinds of thinking, so that we can solidify our own opinions by understanding others. Love that you did this.
Thanks for tackling this book! I’ve never understood the controversy around Rand. But I haven’t read any of her books either.
Recently picked up a copy of Atlas. Haven’t braved the adventure yet. Thanks for great preview.
I loved reafing Atlas Shrugged. It was a fascinating read.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
Proverbs 3:5
I read Atlas Shrugged during High School and HATED IT. I don't remember why and I'm scared of a reread. Nice job that you tackled that beast of a novel.
Hey! I have an idea for you, a vlog where you go to the library and picking up allllll the books you want! 😂 Your local library OR an any library you have access to (county library or something). 😊
This has been on my list for a long, long time! I enjoyed watching you experience this beast of a book!
Anyone who says audiobooks don’t count need to get over themselves 😃 Great video, Ian!
I agree. My old eyes get tired very quickly these days. What am I supposed to do? Give up on books? Absolutely not! I listen to some kind narrators reading the books out loud for me so I can carry on enjoying books. 😊
They don’t count as reading. Because you’re not reading. Count them any other way you want though.
I’m all for audiobooks though. They have great value.
I listen and read, sometimes the same book. If asked, I wouldn’t be able to tell you whether I read the book or listened to it. It hits the same part of my brain. It was storytelling and the spoken word for millennia before there were books. There’s something to hearing a story.
I was so excited for you to read this. I read it in November, strictly for the story, yes, but I can totally agree on how you feel about the whole philosophy thing. Seems like she wants to shove it down the readers throat (especially later on with a certain characters’ 40 page speech 🙄). I’m a Christian also - so I found a lot of her reasoning very selfish. I can agree that people should find their happiness, but there is so much more to life (especially in Jesus!). Her storytelling was ok, dialogue was rough at times, but yes, it is an interesting story. Love this!!
"That is when one should appreciate the meaning of a man"
It just came out of left field, I giggled. It sounded like ramblings of a mad man or in the authors case, woman. That "stick to the subject lady" just made me chuckle more...
Very good video, I'd say it's your best one so far. Love how you quoted and discussed the parts of the book that were meaningful and insightful to you. Keep it up :)
A friend’s mom’s name is Dagne. Apparently it’s a Scandinavian name that means "new day" and is a variation of Dagny. 😊
I used to work at barnes and noble. I JUDGED ayn rand readers, not because i assumed they LOVED her, but because they were giving her state their money. I understand having to read different books for the sake of variety
Ayn Rand's "The Virtue of Selfishness" is brilliant. Bold.
I've not read any of her philosophy or essays but read Anthem once and The Fountainhead three times. Couldn't read
Atlas Shrugged though I started it many times. I was surprised to learn Ayn Rand was friends with Mickey Spillane.
0:42 bro just said M’kay like Mr.Macky from South Park 😂😂😂
Read East of Eden next!
So much YES to this. ❤
East of Eden is the best book I’ve read this year. It was wonderful.
Absolutely adore East of Eden!
I miss you friend! I agree with another sentiment I saw earlier. I’m an atheist myself but I still love you and Ash because you two can be open-minded. I love you guys! Hope you guys had a great 4th!!
I love that you read and review so many different genres! Always enjoy your videos. As for Ayn Rand, I’ll not be rushing right out to read her books lol.
I much preferred the Fountainhead but have read AS twice now. I rather enjoyed it. I was pleased that this was the selection and not The Satanic Verses.
I love how you explained your thoughts from the Christian viewpoint!
I recommend reading Christopher Moore’s Sacré Bleu
It is the first time I noticed your huge beard, despite having watched all of your videos. I think I just encountered a Mandela effect 🤣 I guess I was always just focused on the books. Hehe. Thanks for introducing the book. I have never heard of it or the author.
Another video so soon makes me sooooo happy!!!!
As an atheist I would agree with all 4 pillars of objectivism. Reality is true, reason is the only source of knowledge (I actually can't imagine how this could not be that way), individualism is the highest priority and most of the times capitslism is general good for the society.
As for "but she got mad" - of course, morals exist even in individualism. You can hold to your own moral standards and get mad at people for doing particular things. It just means that there's no higher power or law than your own individual laws and maybe laws of your country.. Which is created by individuals according to their needs, not some mystical powers.
From my point, building your personality and life values from fear is a very sad and masochistic thing.
I have the paperback and e versions of “Atlas Shrugged.” Haven’t read it yet because of its length, but the print was small in the paperback when I bought it back in 2017 and it won’t have gotten larger in the meantime 🥺!
Amen! The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge 🙌🏻
Never heard an American use the word shite so perfectly. Well done
"Gone off the rails?" I'VE BEEN SAVIN THAT ONE 😂😂 Great video Ian!
Hello Ian, This was Fun as well as very interesting, I am a Christian. yes, The fear of the LORD is The Beginning of True Wisdom, and when ever I read books by authors lets say who have problems with religion and God I hold fast to what I know and truly believe. i started to read Atlas shrugged and gave up because of the rambling and quality of conversation in the first few pages but I read the Fountain Head and I loved it (some part of it) I have problems with Ayn rand in the way she portrays women and her whole point of view on God and religion is Childish. anyways Thanks you have inspired me to pick up and finish this book.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽😎😎😎 everyone is entitled to their own opinion on weather you have read the book or not but curiosity always wins at some point and why not see for yourself self what actually is the big deal. I enjoyed you gave ur opinion in a way to not judge in either direction 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
So, I never read Atlas Shrugged but I read Fountainhead many, many years ago. And just like you, I found SO MUCH OF IT to be drivel - but then she would hit me SO HARD with random lines. One of my top five fave quotes actually comes from that book ("The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.”) At some point I want to give Ayn Rand a chance as an adult to see how my feelings have changed. Great video!
I bought that book at a second-hand bookstore without knowing anything about Rand. Afterwards, I searched her online and had serious doubts about reading her book. But now I'm even more curious to read it!
Wow.. I am so glad you did that for me. I knew she was very controversial. I also know that The Fountain Head also brought visceral reactions from readers. I will stay in my safe zone of reading 😂😂😂
For a second, I thought it was going to be the bible😂 Anyway, very interesting video! I appreciate booktubers that don't just read new & popular books and expand their views.
Thank you for making this video. I have been considering reading this book. This video made me decide against it. Reason being I struggle with understanding conversation as it is. I would be completely lost.
I read Atlas Shrugged three times and to this day, it is one of my favorites.
If you ever read the Wheel of time there is a chapter in the final book that’s 189 pages long in the edition I have. It is one of the greatest chapters I’ve ever read.
I enjoy your videos so much 😊 This makes me want to dust off my copy and try to read it.
I loved that book. Had a hard time starting but it sure picked up
There's a speech near the end that one character makes that if it were filmed completely uncut, it would be three hours long
Ian I love that you read these difficult books so I don’t have to! 😂. Once you finish this Malazan will feel like a warm bath.
I read that book for my daughter, she was supposed to read it for a class, lol. I really enjoyed it and actually understood what it was about. Good book.
I had the unique experience of somehow being ignorant of Rand and her politics when I read Atlas Shrugged. My thoughts were that the book made its point in the first few hundred pages....and then just keeps on going. It exhorts an ideology that is supposedly applicable to the real world, yet it invents a fantasy reality in order to make it work. Sorry if that is too political, I promise I am restraining myself.
Hey ian, i dig your channel 👍
You gave atlas shrugged a fair treatment, i would be curious to hear your thoughts on stefan molyneux's novels.
I dont think anyone else will mention these to you, so they are sort of niche but i think theyre some of the best novels ive ever read.
Molyneux used to be an objectivist, then later became a voluntarist.
He is primarily a philosopher, but in his heart he is an artist.
He began his life as a public intellectual promoting atheism, but has since developed a deep respect for Christianity - which is made most apparent when he collaborates with the christian scholar dr. Duke pesta.
His book the god of atheists examines the family and corruption in three domains; tech, boy bands, and moral philosophy.
His book almost is a historical fiction that covers a family through ww1 and ww2.
His book just poor examines the industrial revolution, sentiments towards the poor, and aristocracy.
His book the future is a scifi utopian novel where a peaceful free society has been established and how it would deal with justice.
His book the present is a prequel to the future which examines journalistic integrity, men's rights, economics and has been called a love letter to Christianity by the author.
Ill link his books below which are all available for free in various formats, including audiobook where the author acts out the book with different accents.
freedomainplaylists.com/books/
Anyways, keep up the good work ❤️
Anthem was a masterpiece though.
Agreed!
It's really coincidental that this video ended up on my feed because I started reading the just a month or two ago. From what I knew of Rand, we wouldn't have gotten along lol. But...what I did appreciate in her writing was that while story centered around wealthy characters, she painted those who who worked more menial labor in a positive light and they were appreciated for their work. Unfortunately, the book was much too preachy for me to finish it and I found most of the characters unrelateable.😅
Awesome vlog 💯‼️ thank you for reading this book as a person is very intimidated by very chunky books. I appreciate your commentary. Also I have started reading Stephen King I read his book Elevation and it was nice because it was a very short book but it made me fall asleep 😴 I had great nap thanks to it. Then I started Mr Mercedes and I made it to chapter 4 before I return the book to the library because it was dragging on . I have IT next and I am scared that it will also be super slow. Should return it or should just jump into IT ? Is it worth the slowness ? 😅
I want you to read a book you briefly read in a previous challenge Called Legends and Lattes I would really like your opinion on it. FYI it is a fantasy 😊
Wild lollllll I started Atlas Shrugged years ago. I don't wanna know her personal life but Atlas shrugged was one of the few books I couldn't read. It was lame. Fountainhead however was one of my favorites of all time.
I liked it when I read it at age 14 .. probably wouldn't care much for it now. But damn, that woman could get lots of words out..
The reading narration had me. Please voice an audiobook😂👏👏👏
It's okay to engage with material you don't agree with philosophically or politically. The internet brings out the worst in people and it's best to ignore those types of comments.
Great review and very fair. I am a fan of Atlas Shrugged(and I'm not from the "side of the aisle" that claims this book as their 2nd Bible 😉). More than anything I LOVED Dagny Taggart. As a male feminist, I loved how strong she was... Running a railroad company as a female in a male dominated world. If she had not been in the book, I would have never finished. And yes, that monologue was a lot to read 🤦🏻♂
Yes! Read controversial books! When someone tells me not to read an author because of his or her political affiliation, philosophy or world view it makes me want to read it even more. I'm strong enough mentally and strong enough in my faith in the Lord not to be swayed by someone's world views, but reading is a beautiful human experience, and if we don't broaden our horizons with books we're going to end up being so short sighted.
Christianity aside, we don't only learn from reason, we also learn from experience. Individualism strikes me as selfish and narrow minded. Great video!
My best friend read Atlas Shrugged, and he said it changed his life. I tried to read it and thought it was the most boring book I’ve ever read. I only made it through 200 pages and gave up. I recently found it at a thrift store and bought again so I can try rereading it.
Interestingly, the other day I saw a short of Mike Wallace interviewing Ayan Rand discussing taxation. If you're curious the channel was David Khait. There's nothing wrong with listening to the audiobook and following along. Studies have shown that by doing immersion reading, you can retain more information. It's kinda interesting.
I read that in high school. It certainly was something.
It was more readable than I expected it to be but I still have around 300 pages left until I finish it
Respect brother - only got a few hundred pages in before i gave up lol
People feel the need to let their disapproval be known whenever Rand's name comes up. Her moral philosophy is incongruous with the universal human aspiration towards philanthropy- so what? At least she was interesting enough to conceive of a distinct moral philosophy.
I already know if I picked that up I would end up staring at the pages and taking *nothing* in lol
Time for “Marquises de Sade”
i read colourless.....i like it!
Good for you Ian! Now you know why she’s so controversial or not depending on your opinion. I tried reading it could not finish it, or maybe just didn’t want to, and watched the Atlas Shrugged movie, I left confused on why just why lol. I’m glad you got something from it 🙂
I didn't read Atlas Shrugged but I read The Fountainhead, which sounds like the same book, but thankfully 400 pages shorter 😂
This video so badly makes me want to go out and buy it tomorrow and read it every day until til I’m done by the end of August.
All I have to say about this is that it would take me one year to write a 1168 page book, and in order to make the book that big I'd have to write like five subplots.
Thank you for this was drawn too because it's a big book but I'd hate this book so taking it off my tbr list. I'm not religious but not a atheist either I'm open minded too all.
Whatever Ashlynn said was darn cute! ❤❤❤
Read this in high school (1968) and knew nothing about politics then, but this has influenced my life views.