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For Beginners
Ayn Rand For Beginners
Ayn Rand, author of the best-selling novels, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, is beloved by millions of readers, and equally despised by a significant number of detractors. Her novels and her revolutionary philosophy of Objectivism have acquired a world-wide following. They have also created legions of readers who are hungry for a deeper understanding of her writings.
Despite her undeniably significant contributions to the literary canon and the progression of philosophy, there has been no simple, comprehensive introduction to Rand’s books and ideas, until now. Ayn Rand For Beginners sheds new light on Rand’s monumental works and robust philosophy. In clear, down-to-earth language, it explains Rand to a new generation of readers in a manner that is entertaining, and easy to read and comprehend.
Despite her undeniably significant contributions to the literary canon and the progression of philosophy, there has been no simple, comprehensive introduction to Rand’s books and ideas, until now. Ayn Rand For Beginners sheds new light on Rand’s monumental works and robust philosophy. In clear, down-to-earth language, it explains Rand to a new generation of readers in a manner that is entertaining, and easy to read and comprehend.
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First published July 14, 2009
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About the author
Andrew Bernstein
52 books31 followersAndrew Bernstein is an American philosopher. He is a proponent of Objectivism, the philosophy of Ayn Rand, and the author of several books, both fiction and non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 29, 2013
This book effectively communicates Ayn Rand's ideas as it sets out to do. Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged are long books, so I appreciated that this gave a trite summary, overviewed the themes in her books, and then overviewed her philosophy of Objectivism. I give it 4 stars for its clarity.
However, given that the author himself appears influenced by Rand's ideas, I thought that there lacked critical discourse about her ideas. He failed to present strong arguments against Rand's political philosophy, and therefore didn't have the opportunity to defend her against legitimate opposition. Instead, I have the impression that Rand's books posed straw man situations, where all characters were extreme caricatures - it requires a huge leap of faith and lack of thoughtfulness to jump from her simplistic black and white world to a full endorsement of her political philosophies. The author of this book, in explaining Rand's philosophy, also posed simplistic arguments - though perhaps he was just trying to be authentic to Rand's own presentation.
With all that said, I do recommend this book. It's a worthy read since Rand's ideas are influential, and this book is short and easy to understand. But read it with a critical eye.I enjoyed the way this book set up its sections, and wish that there were more books like this about various other philosophers that acknowledged that people are too busy to invest vast amount of time into reading, but are still intellectually curious.
However, given that the author himself appears influenced by Rand's ideas, I thought that there lacked critical discourse about her ideas. He failed to present strong arguments against Rand's political philosophy, and therefore didn't have the opportunity to defend her against legitimate opposition. Instead, I have the impression that Rand's books posed straw man situations, where all characters were extreme caricatures - it requires a huge leap of faith and lack of thoughtfulness to jump from her simplistic black and white world to a full endorsement of her political philosophies. The author of this book, in explaining Rand's philosophy, also posed simplistic arguments - though perhaps he was just trying to be authentic to Rand's own presentation.
With all that said, I do recommend this book. It's a worthy read since Rand's ideas are influential, and this book is short and easy to understand. But read it with a critical eye.I enjoyed the way this book set up its sections, and wish that there were more books like this about various other philosophers that acknowledged that people are too busy to invest vast amount of time into reading, but are still intellectually curious.
February 17, 2021
I was surprised and disappointed that this book, which I took to be illustrated similar to a graphic novel, was instead illustrated on every other page or so with what I would describe in most cases as clip art. I think the authors missed an opportunity to expand on the verbiage with additional information in the graphics. Otherwise, this was an interesting summary, mostly of Rand’s two biggest novels. Having just watched the movie version of both, I found the descriptions did add to what you could gleam from watching the movies. The book also lays out the basic concepts discussed by Rand in these and other writings. Overall, I found this a quick, though not always easy to read, overview of Rand’s ideas and a summary of her two major novels. Illustrations were unnecessary.
August 29, 2018
This short appraisal of Ayn Rand's life and works provides a decent, if somewhat one sided, introduction to her philosophy. The writer covers the details in a prose that is simple and effective but on occasions is gushingly supportive. What it lacks is a critical analysis of Objectivism to the same depth it details the philosophy. Rand is portrayed as indubitably controversial in her views but the writer never really gets into the meat of why and how Objectivism seeks to meet the claims against it. There could have been much more here, particularly on morality and ethics but that will have to be the domain of other works and studies.
A decent starter, definitely for beginners.
A decent starter, definitely for beginners.
November 19, 2019
Read it to understand Rand better now that I have done so I still Royally dislike her as a person and her political point of view and that she completely made up a name of a kind of philosophy that to me is ANYTHING but valid. I feel and think her political and economic ideas are completely invalid and do not even remotely follow and sound facts based on Real Economic science.... As the main character said in Vonnegut's book "the cats cradle" rAND IDEAS "ARE FOMA AND FOMA ARE LIES...!"
July 10, 2019
While reading this I got the feeling that the author was trying to convert me. An obviously biased view.
August 3, 2019
Great intro to Ayn Rand and summarizes objectivism really well.
September 26, 2020
A great introduction for those of us who are as wary of wading into tomes as we are of intellectual flame wars, and didn't have it force-fed to us in high school.
October 9, 2009
Here is a simple introduction to the life and philosophy of Ayn Rand. Along with being the founder of Objectivism, she also wrote Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, two of the 20th Century’s most famous novels.
The Fountainhead takes place in the 1920s and 1930s, and is about Howard Roark, a modernist architect in a society that prefers buildings that look like Gothic cathedrals or Greek temples. He is expelled from college, gets fired from one job and loses commissions because of his absolute refusal to compromise his principles. After, unwillingly, working in a quarry, because he was forced out of the architecture field, Roark designs a revolutionary apartment house in New York City. As part of a socialist plot to neutralize Roark, his revolutionary design for a religious temple is criticized as sacrilege, so Roark is branded an enemy of religion and a public enemy. Commissioned to design a government housing project, Roark’s design is changed without his knowledge or consent. Does Roark let it go ahead, or not?
In Atlas Shrugged, America is being pushed toward socialism by politicians and intellectuals; also, America’s greatest minds are literally disappearing. Where are they going?
In an isolated part of the Colorado Rockies, Dagny Taggart, railroad owner, finds America’s missing smart people. They are on strike against a moral code which says that moral goodness is found in sacrificing one’s self for others, not in finding personal happiness. Taggart also meets John Galt, inventor of an ultra-efficient motor, and leader of the strike. The state kidnaps Galt, and tortures him, in order to force him to become economic dictator of America, and to fix America’s precarious economy. Does Galt give in, or stay true to his principles?
For anyone who has read either of Rand’s books, and still don’t understand them, this is the book. For anyone who wants to know more about Objectivism, this is the book. For anyone who simply wants to know more about a famous person of the 20th Century, this is the book. It is a gem.
The Fountainhead takes place in the 1920s and 1930s, and is about Howard Roark, a modernist architect in a society that prefers buildings that look like Gothic cathedrals or Greek temples. He is expelled from college, gets fired from one job and loses commissions because of his absolute refusal to compromise his principles. After, unwillingly, working in a quarry, because he was forced out of the architecture field, Roark designs a revolutionary apartment house in New York City. As part of a socialist plot to neutralize Roark, his revolutionary design for a religious temple is criticized as sacrilege, so Roark is branded an enemy of religion and a public enemy. Commissioned to design a government housing project, Roark’s design is changed without his knowledge or consent. Does Roark let it go ahead, or not?
In Atlas Shrugged, America is being pushed toward socialism by politicians and intellectuals; also, America’s greatest minds are literally disappearing. Where are they going?
In an isolated part of the Colorado Rockies, Dagny Taggart, railroad owner, finds America’s missing smart people. They are on strike against a moral code which says that moral goodness is found in sacrificing one’s self for others, not in finding personal happiness. Taggart also meets John Galt, inventor of an ultra-efficient motor, and leader of the strike. The state kidnaps Galt, and tortures him, in order to force him to become economic dictator of America, and to fix America’s precarious economy. Does Galt give in, or stay true to his principles?
For anyone who has read either of Rand’s books, and still don’t understand them, this is the book. For anyone who wants to know more about Objectivism, this is the book. For anyone who simply wants to know more about a famous person of the 20th Century, this is the book. It is a gem.
December 6, 2009
This was a good way to get the summary of THE FOUNTAINHEAD and ATLAS SCHRUGGED without having to read a gazillion pages.
March 18, 2011
Brilliant introduction to a philosophy I finally relate to..
March 22, 2014
Definately in her corner. Thought she is wonderful and we all ought to follow her thinking.
February 13, 2021
This wildly uncritical, fawning hagiography reads like a Jack Chick tract. It serves as a quick overview of Ayn Rand's novels and objectivism, but the prose is excruciating.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews