It is a daunting work, so I'll be forgiven that it took me 10 years to read it completely, but having finished it, I am sorry I didn't complete it sooner. The ideas espoused in Ayn Rand's monumental work are important and should be examined by everyone in a free society (I was excited to hear about the film based on this book being produced soon). There are drawbacks, but no other work out there achieves the same goals as does 'Shrugged' and that alone makes it a must-read.

Through the author's story of the man who stopped the engine of the world, we are exposed to the lives of high society in a near-future (from the 1950s), including a steel producer, a rail tycoon, and writers, politicians, and all significant players in the country. In Rand's Tolstoy-esque social gatherings and strictly Rand-esque business dealings, we are shown a despicable side of mankind, which we all, no doubt have witnessed, and led easily to be repulsed by it. We are then taken on a journey with the protagonist Dagne Taggart to fight the deterioration of free society and economic liberty for the sake of the public good.

This book will challenge many commonly-held beliefs, the most prominent being that the public good should be a goal when considering individual production. Her Objectivist philosophy was fine-tuned by the time she wrote this and it is evident throughout.

Unfortunately, for a novel, the characters are a little flat, with just a few changes in perspective, which makes the reading somewhat predictable. Also, Rand's idea of romantic love is a bizarre mix of masochism and contradiction and the reader may have a hard time relating.

Despite these flaws, this book remains a timeless masterpiece and a monument to human intellect and individuality.

- JSB Morse