Book review

I had heard about Atlas Shrugged for years but I had never read the book. In fact, I did not even know the story. However, lately I kept hearing more and more about he book so I decided to read it for myself.

While the book was published in 1957, I often felt as if I were reading today’s news. The subject of government interference in business and the idea of two percent of the population doing all the work so that the other 98 percent can live must be timeless.

There were parts that were uncanny coincidences however as one day I read about a flood on the Missouri River in the book when there was actually a flood on the Missouri river in the news. Other aspects of too much government oversight of business seemed to be taken from the evening news as well.

While the book is probably designed to promote and explain her philosophy of Objectivism, I really enjoyed the story. The heroes of the story are business men and women with a passion for what they do. They battle the evil of moochers and looters and government regulations that try to sabotage their efforts.

My favorite character in the book is Hank Reardon who develops his own type of metal that is stronger and lighter than steel. In the story he overcomes huge obstacles to get his metal produced and accepted. I could feel his pride as he rides on the first train to run on rails made of his metal and crosses a bridge he designed.

I also loved the character of Dagny Taggert. She runs a railroad that is owned by her brother. She is an amazingly passionate woman. My favorite part of the story is when she offers to trade her diamond necklace for the bracelet that Hank Reardon made for his wife from the first batch of Reardon Metal. Dagny understands the significance of the bracelet that is lost on Hank’s gold digging wife.

Dangy’s character is also interesting because even though she is a powerful business woman, she understands what it is like to be a woman and Ayn Rand very clearly spells out Dagny’s feelings of be submissive to a powerful man. Those parts of the book could never have been written by a man. And, I am not surprised that Ayn was criticized for those writing in her time.

I really enjoyed the story of Dagny’s childhood showing that she had always had a vision of running a railroad. Her vision of the rails running off to a single point is repeated in the novel to help connect the reader to her vision. Her relations with her childhood friends continue to the very end of the 1000 page novel. I liked how the other women in the story don’t think of her as a threat because she is not the classical idea of beauty. However the men in her life love respect and desire her for her passion.

Ayn Rand’s insight into Dagny’s thoughts as she relates to her first lover offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a passionate woman. Men who desire to pursue a powerful woman could learn a lot from the pages. Ayn reveals what most women refuse to even believe about themselves, much less share with the men in their lives.

As the story develops, men, and a few women, of action and ability begin to systematically disappear form business and life. Having been frustrated with the task of trying to keep a factory running despite its management, I can clearly relate to the frustration expressed by those who choose to disappear in the story.

The character that helped me understand business leaders who fail to lead was Dagny’s brother Jim Taggert. In the story, Jim is the one who inherits the rail road from their father. However it is Dagny that actually keep s it running. Jim is too busy playing politics and working the social angle to know what it takes to kept he trains running. For the first time, I have been able to begin to understand the managers who ran the last corporation I worked for into the ground. I had assumed that because they were powerful business men, that they would share a passion for running the business. But, no, like Jim Taggert in the story, they were more concerned with stock deals and political maneuvering than they were with actually making the product that had made the corporation what is was when they took over.

I am very glad that Ayn Rand put so much detain into what could have been a minor character, because it has helped me understand the mind set of this type of business leader. I realize that I will probably be no more successful; that Dagny was in negotiating with her brother when I try to go against one of them but knowing how they think will clearly help me in securing my position.

While difficult to read at times, I found Atlas Shrugged impossible to put down. There were times when she lapsed into more of a philosophical rant than told the story, but I enjoyed it all none the less. The famous speak by John Galt near the end I elected to listen to on You Tube rather than read. The speech is three hours long but has some really interesting points. However it has nothing to do with her story except that he said it and he was able to take over the air waves to make the broadcast.

The ending of the story was a bit anti climactic after all the build up. However after over 1000 pages, I was ready for the story to end.

The copy of the book I have has some appendices describing Ayn Rand’s philosophy of objectivism. I was surprised at one part of her philosophy. I have been a student of metaphysics for a while now and in her story she seemed to value the ability of her heroes to create using only the power of their minds. However in her statement of philosophy, she says that it is not possible to alter reality through the power of the mind.

In her story, Dagny Taggert creates a rail road where none existed before. Hank Reardon creates a metal that had not existed before. John Galt creates an entire utopian city. Each of her heroes uses the power of their minds to create something that had not existed before. However in her philosophy statement she clearly details that she does not believe it is possible to change reality by thinking it to be otherwise.

I think that she is referring to the same metaphysical teachers that I get annoyed with who seem to teach that all you have to do is sit on the couch and visualize and riches will come to you. I agree with her on part of her philosophy. I actually suspect we believe same things just expressed in different terms. Maybe that is why she chose to write a story to illustrate her philosophy.

Share on Facebook

One the surface the story is of big business struggling to operate in an oppressive political climate. But there is much more to the story. Rather than being a traditional battle between good and evil, it is the battle of moochers and looters versus the producers. I have only made it through part one so far. There are three parts to the book.

It is a very intense book to read and has made me stop and think about how I really feel about things. I found out there is a movie but it is only in limited release. Maybe I can get the DVD when it comes out.

Share on Facebook

I recently decided to return to my study of Taoism. Taoism has always appealed to me because of their scientific approach to philosophy. Lao Tsu and the other writers took a lot of time to study plant and animal life to see what works and what does not. They developed very workable practices that really help maintain a strong and healthy mind and body.

I recently read an interesting article by Michael Winn where he talks about smiling to your internal organs. He explains the Taoist philosophy of acceptance very succinctly with the concept of smiling. By smiling he means that we simply acknowledge that a certain condition exists and we smile with no judgment. A thing or event is neither good nor bad, it just is. I find I can save a lot of mental and spiritual energy when I stop judging things as good or bad and just accept them.

So the meditation I have begun to use based on Winn’s ideas and my previous Taoist studies is to simply talk to my body. I like to carry on a conversation with all my body parts.

Since I have had some pain and discomfort in my right foot lately I usually begin there. The conversation goes something like this:

Hey foot. How are you doing down there? I notice that you are sending a lot of interesting signals lately. I really appreciate how you carry me around and support me. I really appreciate all the little tiny bones that have to intersect just right to do all the amazing task that you accomplish all day long. I am really thankful that I have you to carry me around like you do.

My foot rarely talks back, but I can tell it responds well to being appreciated. The pain usually goes away quickly as I stop thinking about it and think about the entire task my foot performs for me.

One of the concepts that I really like in Winn’s article was not condemning body parts that don’t work up to our expectations. He even speaks of welcoming and loving malfunctioning parts like tumors and infections. These are part of our bodies and are there for a reason. If we act with malice towards these parts, they respond in kind. However if we act in love toward these parts, they adapt and rejoin the working collective of our body.

I recently had a sinus headache. Normally all I want to do it get rid of the swelling. I have tried all sorts of herbal remedies and then usually resort to pseudoephedrine. But this time I had a loving conversation with my sinuses. It went something like this:

Ok Sinuses, I know you are irritated. I have been irritated at a lot of things lately but I am working to just let them go. I really appreciate the way you try to protect me by filling with fluid. I know the sensation of swelling that I feel is your way of letting me know what is going on. I really appreciate all you do with the filtering of each and every breath. I know that you do a lot of other tasks that I don’t even understand. And I just want you to know that I appreciate all you do. If you feel the need to swell up to protect me, then have at it. If however the threat is over, let’s just relax and let our guards down. I am going to just lie down for a while and let you do what ever you think is best.

In far less time than it would have taken for the sinus medicine to digest, my headache was gone. I never got any real answers form my sinuses, but the pain went away and I felt like my sinuses worked better and felt appreciated.

I am finding a lot of clarity in taking time to sit and talk with my body and its organs. I really like the concept of not condemning body parts but loving all of them no matter what their shape or form. I am working on loving the excess fat around my belly. I am telling it that I really appreciate the protection is giving me. If it feels the need to stick around, that is fine. However if its job is done, then the fat can be redistributed to other places in my body or used up as fuel. But I am leaving the detail up to the belly fat cells to decide. I am appreciating their presence and respecting their right to be there. I am no longer fighting to get them to leave. I simply love them for who they are.

I feel much more at peace with my self and with my body. I don’t feel like I need to struggle anymore.

I think this meditation and coming to peace within my body is going to help me be more at peace with my external world as well. It will be an interesting trial at least.

Share on Facebook