This was on my "to-read" list for a long time until I finally buckled down and--well, listened to it.

To be honest, I don't think I could have finished reading it. Not to say that I wouldn't have wanted to, but it is a weighty tome, and even listening to it was a daunting task.

But it was a great book for the ideas it presents. Even if you don't agree wholly with Rand's "Objectivist" outlook (which at times seems not exactly objective in the usual sense of the word), the concepts that she presents as her characters struggle through their sundry and varied persecutions are indeed fascinating.

There are two shining gems of this book which are must-reads for anyone interested in the ideas of freedom and individual responsibility. The first is d'Anconia's speech about money, which offers keen insight into the oft-stated but more often misunderstood quote "love of money is the root of all evil." The second is John Galt's radio speech, which goes on for many pages and traverses many topics.

The rest of the book is background to these two speeches. In part, that's what makes this book "really good" instead of "great" -- because it takes Rand so long to get around to saying what she really wants to say. Of course, there simply may not have been any other way to do it well.