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1. Biography - Rand, Ayn (1905-1982): An article from: Contemporary Authors by Gale Reference Team | |
Digital: 23
Pages
(2003-01-01)
list price: US$9.95 -- used & new: US$9.95 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: B0007SENUS Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description |
2. Ayn Rand Reader by Ayn Rand | |
Paperback: 512
Pages
(1999-01-01)
list price: US$20.00 -- used & new: US$11.17 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0452280400 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description Customer Reviews (6)
Excellent Synopsis of the Wisdom of Ayn Rand.
Could Have Been Worse One thing about thebook is interesting.Editor Gary Hull tells us that "I have, ofcourse, made no changes in AR's own words."That's not accurate.Inthe selection "Attila and the Witch Doctor" which was originallypublished in FOR THE NEW INTELLECTUAL, Rand states in a footnote: "Iam indebted to Nathaniel Branden for many valuable observations on thissubject and for his eloquent designation of the two archetypes . . ."(FNI, 14.)Although the paragraph to which this footnote is keyed isquoted in full in the READER, this footnote is left out.
Excellent Introduction to Ayn Rand It's very disheartening to see that Ayn Rand detractors have overwhelmed most of thereview boards for her books. If you read this book, please keep in mindseveral things that its detractors have not: 1.Ayn Rand's philosophy isan integrated system of looking at life and reality.It distorts her viewwhen you grab one of her ideas and take it out of context.Before you passjudgment on Ayn Rand, please know what you are talking about and learn thefundamentals of her philosophy. 2.You have to be honest to learnfrom Ayn Rand.Reading her books won't dislodge the falsehoods from yourmind, nor cram the truth into your brain.She has created a roadmap forlearning the ideal philosophy, but YOU have to look at reality and learn ityourself.Because of this, there are people who have distorted her ideasdrastically.Please look at what she has written to learn about her, NOTwhat others interpret her to be. That's why this book is so important inclearing up the chaos surrounding Ayn Rand.So many people havemisinterpreted her.Here you can get the information firsthand.In herown words.
Excellent introduction to Ayn Rand's books Although I have (read) all Miss Rand's fiction andnon-fiction, the Ayn Rand Reader permits me quick reference to many of myfavorite passages and essays. Miss Rand's writings are my continuingsource of spiritual (mind) and moral strength in a world (currently)dominated by collectivism and altruism. Her writings will, in time, bethe foundation of a New (and much needed) Renaissance.
Good collection, surprisingly |
3. The Early Ayn Rand: Revised Edition: A Selection From Her Unpublished Fiction by Ayn Rand | |
Paperback: 528
Pages
(2005-04-05)
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Editorial Review Book Description Customer Reviews (1)
Several quick reads as an Ayn Rand Appetizer or a dessert after The Fountainhead |
4. Three Plays by Ayn Rand | |
Paperback: 304
Pages
(2005-04-05)
list price: US$8.99 -- used & new: US$4.89 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0451214668 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description Customer Reviews (1)
Great plays |
5. The Ayn Rand Cult by Jeff Walker | |
Paperback: 350
Pages
(1998-12-30)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$11.00 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0812693906 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description Customer Reviews (70)
Waste of paper
Don't Waste Your Time
A Short Sighted Review
Fascinating read
Deconstructing Rand |
6. The New Ayn Rand Companion, Revised and Expanded Edition by Mimi Reisel Gladstein | |
Hardcover: 176
Pages
(1999-08-30)
list price: US$66.95 -- used & new: US$66.95 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0313303215 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description Customer Reviews (3)
SCHOLARLY?I THINK NOT
A "must" for all serious Ayn Rand fans and scholars.
The Definitive Guide to Things Randian and Objectivist What's covered here? Let Gladstein answer: "Theorganization of this Companion follows a logical heuristic: Who? What? andSo what? 'Who is Ayn Rand?' is the question answered partly by the briefbiographical chapter. The main body of this book, however, responds to thequestion, 'What has she written?' That is covered in the chapters on herfiction, her nonfiction, and in the compendium of characters. 'So what?' isthe question that calls for critical reaction and that is provided in thechapter on criticism." The author also provides a comprehensivebibliography of works by and about Rand. Even such obscure pieces as DavidM. Brown's hitherto unheralded survey of "The Critics of BarbaraBranden" (published in the May 1988 issue of Liberty magazine) areincluded. Gladstein has much that is both positive and on-point to sayabout Rand's character, her fiction, her nonfiction, and the variouscritical assessments of her work. She doesn't shy away from negativejudgments when such are appropriate, either. On Rand Herself:"Regardless of what pressures were brought to bear, regardless of howmany of those in power told her that she must change her style, regardlessof what obstacles she found to 'doing it her way,' Rand remained true toher purposes in writing." "Intellectually, she could best anyonein argument.... Bennett Cerf concurred, 'You can't argue with Ayn Rand.She's so clever at it, she makes a fool out of you.' " Rand's personalshortcomings are mentioned, as well as the troubling circumstances thatsurrounded the Objectivist Crackup in 1968; but Gladstein does not dwell onsuch matters. Of course the works cited, the most important of which is ThePassion of Ayn Rand, tell the whole story of Ayn Rand's often triumphant,sometimes tragic life. On Rand's Fiction: "Rand's major literaryworks follow similar plot patterns. In each, an exceptionally able andindividualistic protagonist battles the forces of collectivism andmediocrity that are threatening or have destroyed the nation or theworld." "Rand's heroes are tall, straight and strong. As withtheir feminine counterparts, defiance is a keystone to theircharacters." "The major theme of Rand's fiction is the primacy ofthe individual. The unique and precious individual human life is thestandard by which good is judged." Mention is also made of suchleitmotifs as "recurring whip imagery" and "romanticizedrapes" that are "symbolic of the head-on clash of two strongpersonalities." (Gladstein is quick to add that readers of"raised consciousness about the nature of rape might find thissymbolism unpalatable," but neglects to state clearly that thevigorous sexual encounters in Rand's fiction cannot be taken as actualrape-not if the text itself is to be admitted in evidence.) Gladstein'ssummaries of Rand's stories are uniformly excellent. On Rand'sNonfiction: "Montaigne, author of the book Essais which created thegenre of the essay, defined the essay as 'an attempt,' a brief discussionas opposed to a thesis or dissertation. [The essays of The Virtue ofSelfishness] are just that-compressed discussions, forays into theirsubjects. As such, they are appealing to interested nonacademic ornonspecialist readers as well as to the more serious student ofObjectivism." "Rand says capitalism is the only moralpolitico-economic system in history, a system that has been a great boon tohumankind [TDO thinks Gladstein means "mankind" here].... Herpurpose [in Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal] is to clearly identify thebenefits of capitalism while also exposing the nature of its arch enemy,altruism." "One of Rand's greatest gifts is her ability to cut tothe heart of a contemporary event or issue and analyze its philosophicalimplications." "The specific referencts of [The ObjectivistNewsletter] were events of the early sixties. What makes themintellectually satisfying today is that the basic premises Rand uses tocriticize government, education, or literature apply now as they didthen." The chapter on "Criticism of Rand's Works"includes a summary of every work about Rand that has been published, andmentions a great many of the critical articles. As you can imagine, thecriticism is a very mixed bag, as assessments of Rand run the gamut in toneand objectivity. To her great credit, Gladstein's sensibility incriticizing the criticism is almost infallible. Any palpable blunders inThe New Ayn Rand Companion? One or two.In the introduction the authorstates that Rand "presented herself as representative of her fictionalideal: rational, objective, uncompromising, unswerving. Her followers canfind no imperfections. This tends to create a situation in which all whoare not fully in accord with Rand are seen as part of the opposition."The gist of the observation is correct, but some qualification should havebeen made. Elsewhere in the book Gladstein herself documents the growth ofmore tolerant wings of the Objectivist movement, including the birth of TheInstitute for Objectivist Studies (now The Objectivist Center) and thepublication of David Kelley's Truth and Toleration. (Alas, the Companionwent to press just around the time The Daily Objectivist was being founded,so TDO's rapid ascendancy as the premier arbiter of non-orthodoxObjectivist thought, displacing Kelley's organization, is not mentioned atall. Hopefully this omission will be rectified in the thirdedition.) Another little glitch we could mention appears in thedescription of Hank Rearden. "Although [Rearden's] feelings forFrancisco d'Anconia are strained by Francisco's superficial public image,their friendship grows until Rearden finds out that Francisco had beenDagny's lover." But in fact the great breach in the friendship occursearlier in the novel, when Rearden realizes that Francisco had had themeans to prevent a disaster from befalling Rearden Steel but chose not toprevent it. The discovery of Francisco and Dagny's past romance onlyincreases but does not inaugurate the tension between the two men when theyfinally next encounter each other in Dagny's apartment. Anyone who has readAtlas Shrugged a million times cover to cover would be familiar with thissequence of events. However, these points are trivia. Ninety nine pointnine nine percent of the time Gladstein is completely accurate, not tomention astonishingly concise given the wealth of information she presents.She acknowledges the assistance of a number of major figures in theObjectivist movement, including Chris Matthew Sciabarra, Nathaniel Brandenand Barbara Branden, Peter Saint Andre, Michelle Marder Kamhi and LouTorres. Anyone with any serious interest in the work of Ayn Rand and itsgrowing influence on our culture should own a copy of The New Ayn RandCompanion.--David M. Brown, Editor, The Daily Objectivist(www.dailyobjectivist.com) ... Read more |
7. My Years with Ayn Rand by Nathaniel Branden | |
Paperback: 432
Pages
(1999-02-26)
list price: US$30.00 -- used & new: US$21.78 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0787945137 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is one of the most influential books of the twentieth century-its popular impact ranked second only to the Bible in a major poll. Millions know Rand as one of this century's great thinkers, writers, and philosophers, yet much about the private Ayn Rand remains shrouded in mystery. Who was Ayn Rand? My Years with Ayn Rand charts the course of the clandestine, tempestuous relationship between the enigmatic author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead and Nathaniel Branden-her young disciple and future pioneer of the self-esteem movement. In this book, discover the real Ayn Rand through the eyes of the man who became her soul mate and shared her passions and philosophical ideals. Their tragic and tumultuous love story began with a letter written by Branden as an admiring teenage fan and Anded, more than twenty years later, with accusations of betrayal and bitter recriminations. My Years with Ayn Rand paints an unforgettable portrait of Ayn Rand-whose ideas, even today, can generate a maelstrom of controversy. Customer Reviews (38)
A memoir Ayn Rand's followers need to read.
read it and bathe
Smear and exploitation of Ayn Rand (read The Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics for the whole story)
Intimate portraits of Rand, her inner circle, and her philosophy
I paid 13.30 for this in 2002. Now they want 28??? |
8. Letters of Ayn Rand by Ayn Rand | |
Hardcover: 720
Pages
(1995-06-01)
list price: US$34.95 -- used & new: US$28.74 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0525939466 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Customer Reviews (13)
Get to Know the Real Ayn Rand
The Other Side of Ayn Rand Not surprisingly, the only letters to Nathaniel Branden included were written before he became her associate.The end result is that Branden's contributions to Objectivism are downplayed, which is typical of the material produced by the ARI.(For example, even though Rand approved of Branden's writings published prior to their split, they do not appear in THE AYN RAND LEXICON or other post-split collections.) The most interesting selections are the letters to Isabel Paterson and the distinguished philosopher John Hospers.In order to get permission to quote Hospers' comments contained in Rand's letters, the editor was obliged to include a statement from Hospers.As Hospers says, Rand occasionally misrepresented or misunderstood his point, so printing only Rand's letters to Hospers makes him "look like a bloody fool. . . . And that isn't quite fair, is it?"
It's a shame someone has to die... I'm more interested in music myself than philosophy, but I did notice that in the study of philosophy the Ball that Miss Rand got rolling so many years ago has gathered quite a bit of size and speed.Her ideas made sense to me both before and after I studied Logic, Semantics, and Philosophy.In fact, after studying the "big boys," as one professor of mine called them, I definitely saw a need for a philosophy that states that things are what they are!! Anyway, I'm devouring this book!!!
Maybe worthwhile for Rand scholars.... If you are thoroughly absorbed into Rand's Cult of Personality (amazingly effective even after her death), then you will probably enjoy this work.There was certainly a time where I would have devoured every letter.If, on the other hand, you have been impressed and affected by The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, We The Living, or Anthem, I would strongly suggest working through Rand's nonfiction before diving into this book.
Spectacular! “Letters of Ayn Rand” is a wonderful book for Rand fans, however I think many of the ideas will be lost on newcomers. “Letters” contains almost 60 years worth of personal letters Miss Rand wrote during the course of her lifetime. We have a very wide range of recipients for her letters here, everyone from philosophers, heads of state, newspapermen, literary agents, Hollywood types, fans, political organizations, you name it. Rand was just as eloquent and blunt with her letter writing as with her “serious” writing. I very much enjoyed following Rand’s career through these letters. We start with a young Russian woman trying to settle in to American life, through a writer’s struggles to get her work published, and ending with the writings of an established philosopher ahead of her time. Rand fought tooth and nail to get both “The Fountainhead” and “Atlas Shrugged” published as written, however we learn that she was not entirely against having editorial assistance. Rand understood the editor’s job of providing constructive criticism of her work; however she always stood tall and insisted on making any sort of changes to her works personally. She never tolerated any sort of editorial “rewrites” of her novels or her original screenplays, etc.; Rand fought many tough battles with editors, publishers, film producers, etc. during the course of her writing career for the purpose of having her work stand as written by her hand ALONE. This was very difficult to do back in the 40s and 50s (probably more so today), as witnessed by her numerous letters to the powers-that-be. Rand was brutally honest with everyone she wrote letters to, including family members and adoring fans. Rand was helping to support a niece during the girl’s troubled high school days. Rand then found out that the girl and her caretakers weren’t being up front with her, and subsequently told her relatives in no uncertain terms that Rand’s assistance for the girl is NOT charity and that her help is NOT unconditional. In other instances, fans of Rand who misinterpreted her books were shown little sympathy; not because Rand was against teaching fundamentals of her philosophy (she acted as a teacher far more often than not), but because the letter-writer seemed to have purposefully missed Rand’s crucial philosophical points. Rand had no patience for those who would claim to be fans of “The Fountainhead”, yet ask her to support causes that did not match the ideas of her novels. Her voice is always clear, and her uncompromising use of reason and logic are unmatched. There are some complaints from other reviewers regarding the choice of publishing Rand’s numerous letters to philosopher John Hospers. The argument revolves around the choice of not publishing Hospers’s responses to Rand, and that the letters presented here are “one-sided”. While I can understand the argument, the fact is that this book is intended to be “Letters of Ayn Rand”, not “Letters of John Hospers”. It is made clear to the reader that Rand and Hospers had numerous conversations other than their written correspondence, and Rand’s letters to Hospers are only a small portion of their conversations. Therefore, EVEN IF Hospers letters were published alongside Rand’s, the discussions between the two would remain incomplete. I myself have no problem reading Rand’s letters to him without having the other side published, mostly because I trust Rand to have been honest with her rebuttals of Hospers’s ideas. Another complaint revolves around the lack of letters to / from Nathaniel Branden. The philosophical split between Rand and Branden is well known, however I think the choice to ignore their (probable) arguments within these pages was a sound one. Certainly, Rand and Branden’s long term working relationship included far more than dissenting letters between the two of them. Branden and Rand worked side by side for many years, and I find it unlikely that the details of their split are to be found strictly in the form of “letters” to each other. It is much better for both parties in my opinion to refrain from detailing their split, as Rand is not longer with us to defend herself. Truly, I would love to know what went on to cause their split, but I would rather know nothing at all than hear only one side. I came away with a better understanding of many of Rand’s ideas, which is significant because I have already read the bulk of Rand’s published works. Rand arrives at her conclusions in a different manner within her letters, and the “different” approach presented here served to make clearer her attitudes towards life and politics. Certainly, it was a blessing to read her answers to specific questions, as there are ideas within her work that are difficult to grasp when told from only one angle. This book is a treasure trove for all Rand fans, but is not for beginners. Rand makes many references to characters and events within her philosophical novels that come across as cryptic to readers not familiar with the material. After reading “Letters of Ayn Rand” in full, the Rand “novice” would come away with a rudimentary, patchwork feel for her ideas at best, so I cannot recommend this book unless you have already read “The Fountainhead” and “Atlas Shrugged” at the very least. ... Read more |
9. Ayn Rand Answers: The Best of Her Q&A | |
Paperback: 256
Pages
(2005-11-01)
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Editorial Review Book Description Customer Reviews (10)
A fascinating look at Ayn Rand in action
An Ayn Rand Sampler
The Genius of Ayn Rand
Interesting, brief look at Ayn Rand's opinions.
Ayn Rand did answer |
10. The Ayn Rand Column: Written for the Los Angeles Times by Ayn Rand, Peter Schwartz | |
Paperback: 134
Pages
(1998-10)
list price: US$14.95 -- used & new: US$14.95 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 1561142921 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Customer Reviews (8)
Mildly Interesting
A Truly Interesting Perspective
Rand Analyzes the Issues of Her Day in This Timeless Classic *The Ayn Rand Column* contains over 35 pieces by Rand ranging from the brief, but concise pieces such as an "Introduction to Objectivism", "The Secular Meaning of Christmas", and "Why I Like Stamp Collecting" to the more lengthy "Textbook on Americanism", "Modern Management", and "The Fascist New Frontier." The collection also features an introduction by the book's editor Peter Schwartz, that helps ties the pieces together. My favorite piece in the collection is Rand's "War and Peace" where Rand makes the case for why today's peace movements are *not* advocates of peace, but of gang-rule, statism, and thus dictatorship. Quoting Rand, "Professing love and concern for the survival of mankind, these [peace] movements keep screaming that...that armed force and violence should be abolished as a means of settling disputes among nations, and that war should be outlawed in the name of humanity. Yet these same peace movements do not oppose dictatorships; the political views of their members range through all shades of the statist spectrum, from "welfare statism" to socialism to fascism to communism. This means that they are opposed to the use of coercion by one nation against another, but not by the government of a nation against its own citizens; it means that they are opposed to the use of force against *armed* adversaries but not against the *disarmed*..." And after some discussion of the concretes events to support her claim, Rand concludes: "...Let all those who are seriously concerned with peace, those who do love *man* and do care about his survival, realize that war cannot be outlawed by lawless statist thugs and that it is not war but *force* that has to be outlawed." If I may make a brief philosophical assessment: Wow! What is most illuminating about this collection is Rand's ability to dissect what, at first glance, appears to be a concrete, trivial issue--say the much-maligned "commercialized" gift-giving during Christmas--and shows how it relates to some timeless philosophical principle of vital importance (Sorry! You'll have to read the book for the principle). To use a popular metaphor, Ayn Rand was a woman who could see the forest (abstractions) for the trees (concretes), and vice-versa. Though this book uses the issues of the 1960's to reveal the work of philosophy in action, it is of value to the modern reader of today, as the philosophical principles Rand elucidates are timeless.
Not bad at all
More current events than philosophy, but still good... With that caveat, however, I would stronglyencourage anyone with an interest in Ayn Rand's writing to read this book.It is a good example of how to put some of the more abstract parts ofObjectivist philosophy into real-world practice. Rand's book "TheRomantic Manifesto", for example, becomes more clear in the light ofher essay on the television show "The Untouchables". Also, evenif one is not especially interested in period current events, there aresome essays of broader scope included after the columns. Of particular noteare her essay "The Fascist New Frontier" (an invaluable antidoteto the floods of Kennedy worship pumped out by the mass media), and herexplanation of why atheists can celebrate Christmas. I believe that bothlong-time Objectivists and people who are new to the philosophy can findsomething useful in this book. Furthermore, even if you have no interest inObjectivism, the book is still an enlightening look at a pivotal time inAmerican history. ... Read more |
11. Ayn Rand by Jeffrey Britting, Jeffery Britting, The Overlook Press | |
Hardcover: 144
Pages
(2004-07)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$1.98 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 1585674060 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description The photos and illustrations in this volume have been hand-selected from the Ayn Rand Archives, and most have never been published. They include personal mementos of a Petersburg childhood, her family and their home on Nevsky Prospect; photos from her early years in America; personal papers, including her list of the twelve publishers who passed on The Fountainhead; original newspaper articles, film posters, notes, drawings, and much more. In a recent poll conducted by the Library of Congress and the Book-of-the-Month Club, Rand’s Atlas Shrugged was voted the novel most influential to American readers. This latest volume of the acclaimed Overlook Illustrated Lives series gives her legions of fans an unprecedented chance to better understand the author they adore. Customer Reviews (7)
Well-written, succinct, accurate
Filling in the details
Poorly written hagiography
A Hymn to a Woman Who Loved Life
A great brief biography |
12. The Journals of Ayn Rand by Ayn Rand, Leonard Peikoff | |
Hardcover: 752
Pages
(1997-09-01)
list price: US$39.95 -- used & new: US$214.97 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0525943706 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description Customer Reviews (10)
An Important Book About an Amazing Woman
An Excellent Companion to the Letters Rand wrote out her notes in complete sentences, so there is a good deal of lengthy philosophical and other matters contained in this book.One of the best parts her notes for a work Rand started after THE FOUNTAINHEAD, called THE MORAL BASIS OF INDIVIDUALISM.It's over 60 pages long.Particularly revealing are the notes for an early story called "The Little Street" which is highly Nietzschian in tone, as even the editor had to admit.(Peikoff's forward attempts to downplay the influence of Nietzsche on Rand's thought.) One thing I found interesting is that most of the journal entries are before 1955.However, Rand didn't start writing philosophical essays until after that.JOURNALS includes some notes for the articles that make up INTRODUCTION TO OBJECTIVIST EPISTEMOLOGY, but that's about it. Editor Harriman tells us that Rand made only brief outlines for her philosophical essays, and felt that publishing them wouldn't add much.I would like to take Harriman's word for it.But was there no benefit to publishing these outlines?This might be a minor point, but for the fact that there are reasons to question the accuracy of the JOURNALS.Prior to this book, some small portions of Rand's journals were published by ARI-associated scholars.In an entry dated January 20, 1947, the previously published version contains a reference to Albert J. Nock, which is left out in the version published in JOURNALS.There are other changes as well, such as the removal of "duty" in a passage on ethics.[Sciabarra,"Bowlderizing Ayn Rand", Liberty, Sept. 1998.]This isn't a big deal to fans and casual students, but to scholars attempting to sort out the influence of other thinkers on Rand's thought, it is a big problem.
Interesting background material but her novels are better Most of the notes from Atlas Shrugged deal withanalyzing the psychology of the "parasite." This goes on for pages andseems rather tedious since it comes across as largely speculation-noevidence is cited. More interesting are the notes from the interviews sheconducted about how to depict a steel mill and other settings that occur inthe book. Also noted that she wants to believe in the existence of a soul(i.e., the element of a human being that thinks and is not part ofconventional matter). That was rather striking! I am inordinately proudof myself for finishing it in one day, though I wonder at the same time howmuch I missed. Can't see myself rereading it anytime soon, though. If Ireread anything, it will probably be Atlas Shrugged or possibly TheFountainhead.
An essential take on the evolution of Ayn Rand!
Dear Diary |
13. Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life : The Companion Book by Michael Paxton | |
Hardcover: 191
Pages
(1998-05)
list price: US$34.95 -- used & new: US$14.94 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0879058455 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Customer Reviews (16)
New Discovery
An inspiring look at a philosophic genius. As a companion to the Oscar-nominated movie this book is agreat coffee table reminder of one of the greatest accomplishments of the20th century; Ayn Rand's creation of a fully integrated, non-contradictorycode of morality.
<shrug>
Glossy but dumb
A Celebration All of this misses the point.Whether or not she was a perfect person (ofcourse she wasn't), whether or not this book is biased (it probably is),Ayn Rand was right.Her basic philosophy was pretty much the only moral,consistent, and life affirming one ever produced (whether or not sheherself applied it perfectly).This book celebrates the only person everto figure it out, and express it eloquently.Whatever her flaws or thebooks flaws, the world certainly needs (not deserves!) this book more thanthe countless other pieces of garbage out there. ... Read more |
14. Feminist Interpretations of Ayn Rand (Re-Reading the Canon) | |
Hardcover: 413
Pages
(1999-02)
list price: US$71.00 -- used & new: US$48.00 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0271018305 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Customer Reviews (10)
Rembrandt confetti
N. Branden's comments silly and layered with irony Branden should review some of his own writings about making groundless, arbitrary assertions.Just exactly why or how is such a book superior in "advancing the cause"?As AR would have said: "No answer is given". Secondly - anyone familiar with the 'personal history' of AR and Branden should find his use of the term "idiotic adulation" to be layered with irony.You couldn't find a more idiotic way to express 'adulation' for someone who is in the role of your mentor then ...well ... you know. Sorry about that - but it had to be said. Sciabarra is pretty obviously not too bright, and no comparison can be made between such a so-called 'scholar' and the truly educated and intelligent "poor souls at ARI". Just another non-intellectual book on Ayn Rand that will be forgotten by the time Objectivism really takes hold.
Excellent wide-ranging scholarly discussion
Many disciplines brought to bear ... This book does not claim to "promote" Rand, nor are its articles written from the perspective of the true believer.To disagree with Rand's Objectivism does nothing to address the contents of the anthology.As a matter of fact, several of the contributors themselves strongly disagree with and/or disapprove of Rand, for various reasons. The editors do not claim Rand was herself a feminist, although the essays provide a framework for interpreting Rand from a feminist perspective.Further, Rand's self-identification as NOT a feminist does not mean that there is nothing in her work that can be applied to feminism, or from which feminism might benefit. And to claim that the volume is trying to "cash in" on Rand's name is to ignore the entire scope of literary, philosophical, cultural, psychoanalytic, and feminist criticism.The work of the literary critic, for example, involves interpreting a text from a new perspective in order to suggest meanings or structures, to uncover parallels or contradictions, and to struggle with conceptual knots found in the text.One reading will differ from another, opening up different aspects of the text that may or may not have anything to do with the author; once a book has been written, anyone who reads it is free to interpret it as he or she sees fit.For the most part, the contributors here provide in-depth scholarly analyses and plenty of documentation to support their theses.By placing Rand in a sealed box, refusing to allow her work to be interpreted and discovered, and refusing to allow new minds to draw new conclusions from her stated premises, her devoted followers only guarrantee the death of Rand's ideas. For those interested in current Rand scholarship rather than the repitition of Objectivist mantras, this anthology is superb.If you can't bear to hear any new thoughts on Rand, re-read Atlas Shrugged.If you hate Ayn Rand and think her philosophy is the root of all self-serving capitalist American evil, why the heck are you reading this anthology???Save your cult-baiting for the Down With Objectivism website.
CULT? |
15. On Ayn Rand (Wadsworth Philosophers Series) by Allan Gotthelf | |
Paperback: 104
Pages
(1999-12-29)
list price: US$15.95 -- used & new: US$1.35 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0534576257 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description Customer Reviews (18)
Mediocre Introduction to Rand
A good gloss-over of Rand Those liking this book will also like "Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand" by Leonard Piekoff
A good short summary of Rand's errors The presentation is orderly, if occasionally skimpy. Gotthelf devotes a couple of short, fawning chapters (well, all the chapters are short -- and fawning, too, come to think of it) to Rand's sinless life and then proceeds to take the reader on a guided tour through the main features of her thought in metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Political theory gets short shrift, but that's okay; while it was undoubtedly the strongest (or at any rate the least vulnerable) portion of Rand's philosophy, it was also by far the least original (which, actually, is _why_ it was the least vulnerable). Aesthetics doesn't get much attention either, which is sort of too bad, but maybe Gotthelf doesn't want to give away too many of Rand's propaganda techniques. I especially enjoyed the tour; it's always a pleasure to encounter a book that one has completely refuted before it was even published. The reviewer from Austin is right: Rand _wasn't_ really a very good philosopher. And Gotthelf's accurate-but-uncritical summary of Rand has been a tremendous help to me in rewriting, for publication, my critique of Rand's epistemology (still available in an earlier draft form on my website); he confirms and recommits every error I pick on her for, and may even introduce one or two new ones of his own. (For example, at one point he seems to imply that the "primacy of existence" premise commits him to materialism.) You may well imagine that critics of Objectivism (of whom I am obviously one) receive lots of silly e-mails telling them they've gotten this or that point entirely wrong (usually from people who don't seem to be able to read all that well themselves). So I'm happy to say that at numerous points I have been able to use Gotthelf's handy little text to confirm (yet again) that I was reading Rand correctly after all, and that she was just as wrong as I said she was. Now that I've taken account of his work in rewriting my own, the result is a much clearer critique. (Which just goes to show, I suppose, that Objectivists and libertarians _can_ cooperate in a good cause.) And I'm not kidding about the quality of Gotthelf's work; this _is_ a fairly well-executed introduction, although it will probably be a bit hard to read for anyone completely unfamiliar with Rand's work. For the most part (but not entirely!) this little book reads like a precis of Leonard Peikoff's _Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand_ (which is, by the way, one of the few items of "secondary Objectivist literature" about which Gotthelf has anything good to say). As such it will make a helpful companion to that volume, whether Peikoff likes it or not. (And as I hinted, if you read carefully you'll find a few points at which Gotthelf disagrees with Peikoff and the ARI mainstream. For example, did Rand think her ethic was founded on an "axiom"? Compare Gotthelf's remarks with David Harriman's in the _Journals of Ayn Rand_.) It will also be helpful to anyone -- Randie or otherwise -- who wants a quick and dirty summary of what Objectivism is all about. Love it or hate it, here it is.
All of Rand's Sins, None of Her Virtues The book is clear to a reader only if that reader is already highly familiar with the idiosyncratic semi-technical vocabulary of Objectivism. Indeed, not only does Gotthelf express Rand's thoughts in Rand's rather obscure way of speaking, he typically lets her speak for herself - literally. Most of the main ideas are introduced by way of quoting Rand, at length. This might be okay were Gotthelf to then elucidate Rand's strange formulations, but he takes it for granted that the quotations are clear.But, when cut from context, the quotations lose most of their original flavor. This means that Gotthelf has managed to replicate all of the problems with Rand's unclear and inconsistent language without replicating any of her energy and lively style. Gotthelf has a skewed approach to the question of how much of the book to use on a given subject. He devotes quite a bit of it to deeply a adoring account of Rand's biography, without citing the unauthorized memoir and biography by Rand's closest companions or even the authorized biography written by Barbara Branden in the early 1960's. He does cite Leonard Peikoff's biographical essay on Rand. It is appropriate that Gotthelf, who fails to display much concern with the truth about Rand's life, should cite Peikoff: Peikoff concludes that essay by explaining that our wishes determine what kind of a person Rand was. One could tolerate hagiography if it at least included some relevant information about the development of Rand's philosophy. But this one does not. The well-articulated and strongly defended theory that Rand's philosophical development was much influenced by her immersion, in the Russia of her youth and education, in the dialectical methodology characteristic to the approach of virtually all academics in virtually all subjects on virtually all sides of virtually all questions. That is, Gotthelf manages to spend about a third of the book celebrating Rand, without mentioning the one and only fact about her personal history that is at all interesting from a philosophical point of view: that she may have taken elements of her philosophical methodology from the educational system in which she studied. Gotthelf's skewed sense for what is worth including is displayed elsewhere, in his decision to spend about 40% of the book on Rand's metaphysics; primarily her theory of concepts. This leads him to shortchange Rand's politics, dealing with Rand's most well-known theory on a single page. But, since Gotthelf spends so much of the book on Rand's metaphysics, and uses quotations from Rand to do most of his explaining, we must ask whether this book is a more efficient introduction to Rand's metaphysics than just reading Rand. Rand's work on metaphysics is about 100 pages long; more if you count the appendices, which help to elucidate but add little that's really essential. So now we're wading through 35 pages of hagiography and 40 pages of metaphysics to get not just the same old explanations but quotations that one could have found in Rand in a book that's only about 25 pages longer. The discussion of ethics is similarly problematic. Rand's meta-ethical argument is deeply obscure. One cannot, by reading her essay on the subject, discover what are its premises, what are its conclusions, and how one infers the conclusions from the premises. All of the various interpretations of this argument that have been offered have been subjected to serious criticism. Gotthelf neither explains the argument (more quotations) nor even tries to show how it can deal with the criticisms that have been offered. Rand was not a really very good philosopher; her programmatic, mostly methodological, insights require a total reworking from the bottom up. One wonders whether she'll ever acquire a scholarly following capable of doing this, or if the poor woman will be forever cursed with unconstructive, admiring sycophants on the scale of Gotthelf.
Very Hard to Read |
16. Ayn Rand by Tibor R. Machan | |
Paperback: 163
Pages
(2000-03)
list price: US$24.95 -- used & new: US$9.99 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0820441449 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description Customer Reviews (4)
Sloppily insightful
Not very informative
Hastily put together but rather friendly and interesting Unlike most independent Ayn Rand scholars, who tend to consider themselves as superiorprofessionals correcting the childish blunders of an incompetent amateur,Tibor Machan, as the above quote suggests, is a respectful commentator whocorrectly recognizes that Ayn Rand was a major philosopher and that most ofwhat Randian scholars today can hope to accomplish is to polish up someaspects of her philosophical system, develop new applications of it andconfront the latest batch of criticisms from academia. As far as hispersonal philosophy is concerned, he seems to have accepted most of thefundamentals of Objectivism, and in most contemporary philosophicalbattles, he is generally on the right side, defending free-will againstdeterminism, ethical cognitivism vs. non-cognitivism, the free society vs.welfare statism and marxism, and the morality of business against leftistand conservative smears. I would therefore consider him an estranged friendof Objectivism, to be distinguished from the self-styled "sympatheticobservers" of the philosophy who in the next breath call Rand apseudo-philosopher. Unfortunately, Machan tends to suffer from a lack ofsystem and hierarchy in his writings, and nowhere is this clearer than inthe present book. Compared to Peikoff's *Objectivism: The Philosophy of AynRand* or even Gotthelf's *On Ayn Rand*, which are beautifully structuredand clearly distinguish fundamentals from derivatives, Machan's *Ayn Rand*is much less integrated and systematic. This lack of system of courseneed not be a reflection of Machan's own mental functioning, even though hedoes have a penchant for pluralism and eclecticism, but is probably due tothe way the book was put together: *Ayn Rand* is essentially a disjointedcollection of articles previously published in various reviews, newslettersand books. Chapter 4, "Rand's Rational Individualism", forinstance, is a slightly edited copy of chapter 10 of *The PhilosophicalThought of Ayn Rand*. Machan's lack of enthusiasm for philosophicalhierarchy does sometimes affect his conclusions, though. For instance, whenhe states that "in some parts of his moral philosophy and in politics,Kant was closer to [Rand's] own ideas than are most otherphilosophers" (p117), he clearly shows his rejection of theObjectivist tenet that one cannot understand a statement out of the wholehierarchy of a man's philosophical ideas. This may also explain why hefeels sympathetic to the libertarians and leans to the "moraltolerationist" wing of Objectivism. Anyway, I do recommend this bookas a good overview of Objectivism, and perhaps as a better *introduction*to this philosophy than Gotthelf's very compact volume (though the latteris a more reliable statement of the content of the philosophy). Machan makes interesting comments on the distinction between derivation anddeduction and he identifies a few contemporary philosophers whose views arevery similar to Objectivism. His more haphazard reflections on"Problems Left for Objectivism" however suffer from a lack offamiliarity with the more recent taped material and simplemisinterpretations of Objectivist tenets. (For instance, though he has read*We The Living*, he asks: "Cannot a work of art be quite excellent,yet... sad? Tragic?", perpetuating a common caricature of theObjectivist esthetics.) Finally, I must say I found some of the statementsin the book cryptic or highly dubious: "Rand's foundationalism can becharacterized as post-epistemological" or "Rand's approach isalso consistent with... an (almost) anything-goes, (almost) Feyerabendianlaissez-faire attitude towards the methods of factual investigation".
Best Book on Rand There are a number of merits to this book: (1) Prof.Machan provides a clear overview of Rand's position on most philosophicalquestions, placing prominence on Rand's axiomatic concepts; (2) the bookcontains a solid discussion of Rand's works; and (3) chapter 7 - on variousquestions that Rand failed to consider - is excellent. There are someweaknesses to the work as well. First, Prof. Machan doesn't spend enoughtime on Rand's theory of concept formation, which her followers consider hegreatest contribution to philosophy.Second, he is too kind to Rand whenit comes to her often unfair and inaccurate attacks on other philosophers. While he says that Rand caricatures other thinkers, the fact is that Randhad little knowledge of the history of philosophy and her discussion ofother philosophers is simply pathetic.Anyone who doubts this should readher essay, "For the New Intellectual." Third, like many of Rand'sadmirers, Prof. Machan overestimates Rand's originality.The fact is thatmost of Rand's ideas can be found in other writers. In spite of itsflaws, this is generally an outstanding book.I recommend it highly. ... Read more |
17. Anthem: 50th Anniversary Edition by Ayn Rand | |
Hardcover: 128
Pages
(1995-08-01)
list price: US$23.95 Isbn: 0525940154 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description Customer Reviews (434)
Excellent Book
Neither the best of Rand nor of the dystopian genre
Wonderful and thought provoking!
Good Introduction to Ayn Rand's Ideas
Great Ayn Rand starter book. Ayn Rand-Lite |
18. What Art Is: The Esthetic Theory of Ayn Rand by Louis Torres, Michelle Marder Kamhi | |
Hardcover: 539
Pages
(2000-06)
list price: US$44.95 -- used & new: US$44.95 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0812693728 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Customer Reviews (12)
This book should be called "What Art ISN'T"
WOW!
Surprisingly good, despite some flaws Nevertheless, despite these criticisms, I urge all those who are interested in art to read the book, regardless of what they think of Rand.The book is written on a much higher level than most pro-Rand books that are published nowadays.Torres and Kamhi, unlike Rand's orthodox disciples, at least are sound scholars with an appreciation for empirical evidence and close logical analysis.They are fair to opposing viewpoints (unlike Rand herself, who treated opponents as if they were sub-human), and they provide an excellent overview of the excesses of modern and post-modern art.Merely as a phillipic against bad art (or, as the authors would insist, "non-art"), I would give this book a five star rating.But because of the methodological essentialism, I have to drop it down to four.The emphasis on definitions really can get annoying.
Insightful & challenging reading for art criticism students
A humanistic outlook on art. |
19. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand | |
Paperback: 1200
Pages
(1999-08-01)
list price: US$22.00 -- used & new: US$10.99 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: 0452011876 Average Customer Review: Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
Editorial Review Book Description This famous rhetorical question rings through Ayn Rand's best-selling novel as the people's anthem of despair in depressed economic times. Set in the future, the novel follows capitalist magnates as they battle looters, strikers, and the impending ruin of the United States' economy. The romantic and intellectual relationship between Dagny Taggart, the heroine, and John Galt, whose identity as the leader of the strike is eventually revealed, carries the novel to its climax. This novel, controversial when it first appeared in 1957, purports Rand's objectivist philosophy that the individual is free to pursue his or her own happiness without bowing to God or society. Objectivism in action upholds full laissez-faire capitalism as the only philosophy that can protect humankind's freedom to think, to be inventive, and to live productively. Customer Reviews (1470)
Read but with a giant grain of salt on hand.
Atlas Shrugged
slightly over-rated
One star if you want to be brainwashed
It's not a Philosophy book |
20. Anthem by Ayn Rand | |
Hardcover: 256
Pages
(2005-04-21)
list price: US$23.95 -- used & new: US$11.99 (price subject to change: see help) Asin: B000FZDKRK Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan | |
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