Ayn Rand Explained: From Tyranny to Tea Party

Description

Ayn Rand Explained is an engrossing account of the life, work, and influence of Ayn Rand: her career, from youth in Soviet Russia to Hollywood screenwriter and then to ideological guru; her novels and other fiction writings, including the perennial best-sellers, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged; her forays into ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics; her influence on-and personal animosity toward-both conservatism and libertarianism. Rand's theory of Objectivism offers a comprehensive package of beliefs encompassing the ethics of rational egoism, rejection of all religion and outright atheism, the arts as expressions of good or bad metaphysical and ethical values, personal freedom from political interference, laissez-faire capitalism, and limited government.

"Ayn Rand is in the news now more than ever--but the media consistently misunderstands her. Read Ayn Rand Explained for a thorough and clear introduction to her ideas!" --JIMMY WALES, founder of Wikipedia "Ayn Rand Explained takes us on an exciting exploration of Rand's provocative worldview and expertly traces its huge contemporary impact on politics, economics, art, and culture. Marsha Familaro Enright provides much new information and probing, in-depth analysis. A surprising, intriguing take on a controversial writer." --CHRIS MATTHEW SCIABARRA, author of Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical "I immensely enjoyed reading Ayn Rand Explained. Packed with fascinating information, much of it new, the book is a real page turner--and a reminder of why Rand's novels are continuously making their way onto best-seller lists." --VERONIQUE DE RUGY, Senior Research Fellow, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University On the First Edition "Very impressive! Merrill has a detailed understanding of Rand's philosophy and familiarity with her novels... I don't agree with everything he says but his discussion is full of insights and penetrating points, and I learned a great deal from reading it." --DAVID KELLEY, author of A Life of One's Own and The Contested Legacy of Ayn Rand "A fascinating, thoughtful book... a worthy contribution to the growing body of literature on Ayn Rand and Objectivism. One need not agree with all of his conclusions to congratulate Mr. Merrill on the independence of his thinking." --BARBARA BRANDEN, author of The Passion of Ayn Rand