ARI and Atlas Shrugged

[Chris Grieb]

I received a funding raising letter from Yaron Brook about efforts to get Atlas Shrugged read by high schoolers. He reported that ARI has already distributed more than 500,000 copies of the novel. They hope to distribute more than 2,500, 000 copies over the next five years. Teachers in high school are putting Atlas on reading lists. When I was checking on the library distribution of PARC I noted on the day I checked that seventeen copies of Atlas were checked out of the Fairfax County Library. ARI is to be saluted for their efforts to get Ayn Rand read by high schoolers. Young people need to read Atlas as an atidote for today's culuture. Three cheers for ARI

[Danneskjold]

I ran into Atlas Shrugged while in a bookstore by complete chance back in eighth grade. Probably one of the most lucrative investments I have ever made was buying that book. After all, the increase in knowledge I gained from that book will help me make far more than the nine dollars it took me to buy the book itself. However, I am not sure about the reality of getting the average high school student to read what is essential a 1200 page tome of a book on philosophy. If a teacher were to assign it, they would either have to assign excerpts or they would have to make an entire unit out of it. That book would take the average high schooler a quarter to read. ARI is to be commended for their effort, but do you think perhaps there is a book that would affect the same change as Atlas Shrugged without the obvious downfalls?

[Chris Grieb]

ARI has essay contest invovling The Fountainhead for high school students. I think I would suggest Fountainhead or Anthem first. Fred Seddon , a college professor, uses Atlas in his business ethics class and said the class is upset about the size of the book but then start reading and can't put it down. Use your best judgement and if you think the person is ready for Atlas recommend it.