CliffsNotes on Rand's Atlas Shrugged (CliffsNotes on Literature)

Cliffs Notes is always going to be a good source to learn whatever from a literary work. I ordered it together with the book and I received the Student Version of Atlas Shrugged. The print size was good for when I was a student-too small, not for now. And the seller omitted to make this particularity known in the specs of the book, thus I had to send it back.The story began to be written about 65 years ago as a futuristic novel which events would crystalize in 2017, I think; however the book, as strange as it might sound, is a book about secret societies, apparently Ayn Rand moved in those circles. Individuals plan for the next day or week, these societies focus on fifty,or hundred years; maybe we should do the same. The books becomes frightfully accurate in its parallelism with todays socioeconomic events which takes us to the premises in which secret cabals operate.The book is a must read, its novelization is uncanny as it begins to solidify to the tune of present envents, and MS. Rand is an gifted and prolific writer. Yes, I got this much out of the Notes and cannot wait until I get my book.

I was once assigned "The Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand. That was back in the 90s when I was in undergraduate school. I admittedly despised Rand after that assignment. Give me a break, I was 18. A year or so ago, I started an online adventure of working towards my PhD. I saw it as a move to hopefully inspire our kids to continue their educations, they're 10 and 12 right now. One of my first assignments was to read and analyze Atlas Shrugged. Those same butterflies came back. The very dread that stopped me from returning to school was back. I consider myself a modest person and would hope this reading this review would read through my reviews to see I'm not some jerk. My wife who lucked her way into a job with one of the big mobile companies back before they required degrees for supervisors, hadn't needed college. I didn't need to go back since I have a successful construction/engineering firm, but my return was based purely on just wanting to teach our kids about college's real purpose. The one that has nothing to do with just getting a raise at work, but instead, one that teaches you think better, to add confidence in your knowledge and communication ability.Not long after starting back my wife was laid off by the mobile company after 15+ years of employment and she fell into a rut. We were going to be okay financially, but she was faced with the concern of having to find a new job with no college experience. I stuck my chest out at Ayn Rand and told her to hit me with her best shot. This cliffs notes book was where I started since I really had no idea how I would do with reading the entire book. I won't say I agree with Rand on everything, but I now get her philosophy. This book helped me take the bigger step of reading the entire book and then making an A on my dissertation. Little did I know, that A would inspire more than our kids as it sent my wife into being interested in college and enrolling herself for online classes.I personally would recommend this version for anyone who doesn't understand Rand's general philosophy. Maybe I'm just more understanding as it has been right at 20 years since The Fountainhead assignment, but either way, this cliff notes version made me interested in reading the full version and understanding Rand better than I think my mind was willing to understand. Very much recommended.

First off, please do not confuse my 4-star rating of this literature **guide** to Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged", with the 5-star rating I gave to Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" itself.Ann Rand's masterpiece, "Atlas Shrugged", in its unabridged form is a 1000+ page tome that might easily overwhelm you in keeping all the characters and plot points together. Just because it took Rand many years to write the book, it doesn't mean you want to have to spend years to understand it (or at least most of it).Rather than treat reading the book in the same way one would approach dissection of a book in a graduate school course, comparing and contrasting characters, outlining the plot in excruciating detail, looking for incidents foreshadowed, tracking the comings and goings of numerous characters, and in general taking the joy out of reading the book, I decided to sub-contract that work to CliffsNotes.Yes, I know it is a CliffsNotes guide, but I bought and read it only after reading the book, and I found things in the guide that I had missed in my original reading of "Atlas Shrugged". I was then able to re-read parts of the book and connect the dots on some of the more esoteric ideas presented. My friend Cliff (AKA, Andrew Bernstein) via his Cliff's notes did an excellent job for me.This is by no means a substitute for reading the book. (I always read unabridged versions of books that I acquire and suggest that you do the same.) Yes Rand is wordy, but she has a lot to say. Her forecast of a frightening future world dystopic society, ruled by bureaucrats was written many decades ago. Rand seems to be a prophet in describing the progression of the post-WWII western world. If while reading this book, you don't have a slightly uncomfortable feeling about the direction of how things are moving in the United States, you best read it again.Oh, and for Audible fans, the book is available albeit in a number of parts to facilitate downloading. I did not see a way to do the downloads to one file -- which if not available, should be, for those of us blessed by a fast Internet connection.But I would use the Audible version only to do immersion reading lest when you are fatigued events move faster than you absorb the book, and "Atlas Shrugged" becomes a lullaby. Rand's work is not good bedtime reading, and I suggest reading it only when you are alert and have a block of time available to give it your all. In my case, I got absolutely hooked on the book, so I made a lot of time open to read the book.

So the book is way too long, gave me a headache after 23 pages. But this, this is great. Plot, characters, analysis, and enough material to feel that I have read all 1000 pages. It is frequently referenced today and now I can speak intelligently about it and see why it is so important in today's world. It nourishes the intellect. One must guard against feeling too smug after reading the Notes; but I do! The Notes should be mandatory reading before anyone is allowed to vote. Nuff said!

A good review of the book