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  1. #1

    Read a Book or Listen to an Audiobook!

    So a short time ago I downloaded "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. It is a classic, one of the greatest books ever written IMO. It has been in publication for more than 50 years now.

    So I was at work the other day, speaking to some of my more intelligent co-workers and I mentioned that I just got "Atlas Shrugged" on audiobook.

    The response was blank stares, none of them had heard of "Atlas Shrugged" or Ayn Rand!!!

    It bothered me that no one had heard of this book, let alone Ayn Rand who was one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. I could understand if they had said "Oh yeah, I've heard of it, but never read it." Let's face it, "Atlas Shrugged" is sort of like "Moby-Dick" famous, but seldom read, it is in fact a weighty tome.

    Ray Bradbury once said "There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them."

    Is it just me? It seems people just don't read much anymore, aside from what I call "popcorn"....pop culture books, magazine articles, websites, blogs, etc.
    May the force be with you.

  2. #2
    I only "got into" reading in college, since that time I've tried to be more or less constantly reading something. It tends to be military history although if I see/hear of something interesting I'll give it a try.
    I'm a big fan of audio books. I used to have 1.5 - 2 hr round trip commute and I listened to many many audio books. Currently I do not have a commute per say although I do drive around for my job so it takes quite a bit longer to get through a book.

    I think there is definitely something to be said about reading and continuing to learn and grow.

  3. #3
    My wife and I read to our kids, or have them read to us every night before they go to bed. We believe reading is important and it has helped our daughter greatly in school. We hope it will help our son when he starts school as well.

    It just seems like in today's society no one reads the classics any more unless they are forced to in schools. Sure a lot of people own e-readers and buy e-books and read, but what are they reading. When was the last time someone told you they just read "Of Mice and Men" or "The Fountainhead" or "Fahrenheit 451"?

    Today it seems like people are reading garbage like "The Twilight Saga", which is fine, but when that is all you read, then what's the point?
    May the force be with you.

  4. #4
    I just did a search of my local library of Atlas Shrugged and believe it or not they are all out, with the one exception of cliff notes. I'm currently working on a book and there is another I want to read but I've just put Ms. Rand on my list to read.

  5. #5
    I read too slow, so it takes a long time to read. If my mind wanders, then I also find I read a page or two and don't remember what I just read. I haven't even made time to read Star Wars novels the past few years.

    There are a lot of classics I would like to read. I think the last book I read in its entirety was the last Harry Potter book. I started Sarah Palin's book and Glenn Beck's Arguing With Idiots (I wanted to learn to argue with myself), but haven't finished them. Beck mentions a lot of stuff that would be interesting to read, but I just haven't made the time. I grew up watching television, so that is my evening entertainment. If I start reading too late in the evening, then I tend to get tired.

    A co-worker lent me The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop., so that is the one I will need to finish first so I can get it back to him.

    I had heard of Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, but never read them or knew anything about the books until the last couple of years.

  6. #6
    I like read and my selections vary quite a bit. I'll try whatever catches my attention. Biography, history, mystery, crime, historical fiction, sci-fi, short story collections, whatever. If it sounds good, I'll try it.
    I'm not the type to read a book a week, but I try to read at least a little every day.
    So far I'm on books 16 for the year, hoping to hit at least 20 by year's end.

    I've tried a few audiobooks but they don't really hold my attention. I find myelf mentally tuning out quite often. And so many of them are abridged, which feels like I'm going to be cheated out of story, based solely on some stranger's opinion.

    And I've tried a few of the "classics," most of which did nothing for me. "The Catcher In The Rye" has to be one of the most overrated anythings ever.
    [FONT=Book Antiqua]He passes to Moses - He shoots, he scores![/FONT]
    Mummy of the raincoat is a gigantic trollop.
    DOMINATE!


  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by JimJamBonds View Post
    I just did a search of my local library of Atlas Shrugged and believe it or not they are all out, with the one exception of cliff notes. I'm currently working on a book and there is another I want to read but I've just put Ms. Rand on my list to read.
    You will not regret it, Atlas Shrugged is 1,200 pages, but worth the read. My audio book came in 8 parts at almost 8 hours each.

    I also highly recommend reading "The Fountainhead" before embarking upon "Atlas Shrugged".
    May the force be with you.

  8. #8
    Senator Bel-Cam Jos's Avatar
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    I am a high school English teacher. You don't want to know my answer about reading (what's being read and at what reading levels). And that's for adults AND youth.
    Too late; I already copyrighted these parodies: Rogue Juan, Rogue Won, Rogue Huan, Rogue Wan, Rogue Obi-Wan, Rouge One, Rogue Wand.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Bel-Cam Jos View Post
    I am a high school English teacher. You don't want to know my answer about reading (what's being read and at what reading levels). And that's for adults AND youth.
    I was reading Jack London, Edgar Allan Poe, John Steinbeck, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, Carl Stephenson, and many many more in Jr High School, as part of the curriculum.
    May the force be with you.

  10. #10
    I think my favorite book that we had to read in school was A Tale of Two Cities. The teacher did a good job of pointing out a lot of stuff. So, I was able to see how all of these things from early in the book came back to be important later on. So, I enjoyed how well it was written and how everything came together. The ending was also very moving.

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