From the Editor, Spring 2011
Celebrating the Film Debut of a Philosophical Classic and Its Impact on Individualism
It’s here. Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged finally has come to the silver screen, and in this special, Atlas-themed issue of TOS—which begins our sixth year of publication—we have details on the movie and a whole lot more.
As you may have noticed, we have lost our tombstone-like academic look and gained a full-color graphic cover to match the verve you have come to expect from the journal. The artwork on the present cover depicts a scene in the movie from the first run of the John Galt Line.
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Harmon Kaslow, coproducer (with John Aglialoro) of Atlas Shrugged: Part I, to discuss the film, how it came together, choice of screenwriter and director, casting, score, and distribution. Dovetailing with this interview are Chris Wolski’s concise history of the efforts to adapt Atlas for the screen and his review of the film (he attended a prescreening in February).
Also on the theme of Rand’s magnum opus is Richard M. Salsman’s “Economics in Atlas Shrugged,” which shows how the novel brilliantly dramatizes the essential principles of this science along with the fallacies involved in denying those principles. You’ll want to share this essay with everyone who has read Atlas or pontificated about economics.
Talbot Manvel’s “James J. Hill and the Great Northern Railroad” tells the story of how a real-life Nat Taggart created one of the most life-serving industrial concerns ever to grace the face of the Earth. Prepare to be inspired.
Gretchen Thomas’s “Walt Disney’s EPCOT: The City of Tomorrow that Might Have Been” shows how this man of the mind designed and strove to develop a city of technology, industry, and commerce like none other to this day. Again, you will be awed.
In “A Symphony of History: Will Durant’s The Story of Civilization,” Dan Norton examines this defining work of yet another man of the mind, showing, among other things, the remarkable scope and integration of Durant’s multivolume world history.
On the political front: Joshua Lipana reports on both the communists’ continuing efforts to enslave the Filipino people and the Philippine government’s communist-fueling policy of appeasement. Paul Hsieh elucidates the proper roles of government and charity in health care. And Michael A. LaFerrara distinguishes between school vouchers and tax credits, showing that only one of these can provide a viable road map toward a free market in education.
The films reviewed in this issue are the aforementioned Atlas movie, and the Academy Awards’ choice for the best film of the year, The King’s Speech. Just as this latter movie is not to be missed, so too this spot-on review.
Finally, the books reviewed are Leaving Johnny Behind: Overcoming Barriers to Literacy and Reclaiming At-Risk Readers by Anthony Pedriana (reviewed by Laura Hilse); Terrorist Hunter: The Extraordinary Story of a Woman Who Went Undercover to Infiltrate the Radical Islamic Groups Operating in America by Anonymous (reviewed by Daniel Wahl); The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World by Laura J. Snyder (reviewed by Roderick Fitts); and The Sleuth Investor: Uncover the Best Stocks Before They Make Their Move by Avner Mandelman (reviewed by Daniel Wahl).
Enjoy the articles and reviews, share them with your friends, and let us know what you think.
—Craig Biddle