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unfinished

Partially read/skimmed.

unfinished

On being able to trust friends not to ask of us things against the nature of friendship:

"If I were asked: 'If your will told you to kill your daughter, would you kill her?', and should answer, Yes. For that would be no evidence of my readiness to do the deed, because i have no doubts about my will, and just as little about the will of such a friend."

(On Friendship, p.98 of the 1978 Penguin edition)

I love this book, though a science career may have escaped me, Serendipity fascinates. See my Pinterest account for photos of almost every historical figure mentioned herein, as well as a lot of fascinating images of the actual experiments and discoveries in question. See Samuel Robb @robb3143

Exquisite detailed descriptions of interior States of a range of characters, and the quirky, often neurotic and quixotic reasons for which motivate human beings and cast their actions. A bit pessimistic perhaps, but life can be looked at squarely with all it's problematic limitations.

Played a game of 'the art of literary conversation' tonight. Great fun reminiscing and micro-theorising about the written word. I love books. #TAOC

It is a very 'us' and 'them' mentality in this book. Rand seems so indignant that it is 'Us' suffering, and not not 'them'. Perhaps if the Czarists had not been so appallingly greedy, the revolution would not have been as inevitable.
Funny, the growth in wealth inequality within countries now. USA comes to mind. Russia's super rich are like new Czars.

Who knows what the future will bring.

"When she refused to play with a crippled relative of whom the family's compassion had made a general idol - she was never asked to do it again." p33.

Rand writes of her hero she couldn't cook a potato.

I'm only reading this to try and understand why, and how, Rands views became so extreme. Also, are there kernels of truth about the burdens of dictatorship and value of the individual? I would say yes!

"When she refused to play with a crippled relative of whom the family's compassion had made a general idol - she was never asked to do it again." p33

Rand writes of her hero she couldn't cook a potato.

Only reading to try and understand why, how Rands views became so extreme.

A very enjoyable read. I got to feel like I was japanese for a few hours. Quite sad. Not, as appeared autobiographical.