Anybody Here Ever Read Ayn Rand?

[dadmonson]

What book of hers should I read first if I want to get a basic understanding of her philosophy?

 

[WhitePimp]

Probably my favorite author of all time. I think the popular consensus is that Atlas Shrugged is her masterpiece although I haven't attempted that one yet. I'm sure Francisco d'Anconia can tell you all about it though I haven't seen him around lately. You can't go wrong with Anthem, it's pretty short and digestible. If you like that one, by all means read The Fountainhead, probably my favorite book ever. It's a LONG read, but goddamn, it'll make you keep thinking well after you finish it. Just absolutely brilliant. We The Living is an excellent shorter one of hers too.

 

[Jules Verne]

I recommend The Fountainhead.

It is the only book by Ayn Rand I have read so far, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There is a Howard Roark in all of us.

 

[SmoothTalker]

So far I have only read the fountainhead and its a good read. However, from that perspective Sosuave is not a good thing, what with us being so interested in social dynamics and whatnot.

 

[Phyzzle]

I have to disagree with all of the other guys, and tell you to read Atlas Shrugged. I think they read The Fountainhead instead because it appears to be shorter. But Atlas Shrugged is easier to read, simple because there's more of a plot, and it sort of moves like a sci-fi novel. It's also the more definitive statement of her philosophy of life.

If you like just reading books about philosophy, she and Leonard Peikoff wrote non-fiction books that just explained everything. One was called "Objectivism".

Here's a quick introduction to the way she thought:

http://fare.tunes.org/liberty/library/pwni.html

 

[saber]

Although she has some good insights I couldn't enjoy her bland writing style

i read about 1/4 into the fountainhead...maybee I should have pushed a little farther but eehhh whatever

 

[KarmaSutra]

I know for damned sure 'Cisco has.

 

[MaddXMan]

Is pretending to like Rand some kind of fad for sosuavers? Her books are boooooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrinnggggggggggggggggg.

 

[Jules Verne]

Howard Roark embodies what we discuss on this website.

I would have to read other books by Ayn Rand to comment more on her philosophy.

 

[Huffman]

I'm reading the Fountainhead atm and I love it... but I think it's a little over-the-top.
The whole story is strictly modeled after Rand's philosophy, yet there are many things which are extremely unlikely to happen in real life.

It is a very powerful book, but I think it lacks a little realism.
Of course its purpose is to spread those particular ideas, so that's okay.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

Roark's a wimp compared to the protagonist in "Atlas Shrugged." He could have done much more with his given principles than what he achieved. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. The men in Atlas accomplished great things which literally impacted the world. "Anthem" was good and "The Fountainhead" was better but neither comes close to depicting the spectrum of self interest, reason and objective reality than "Atlas Shrugged."

 

[Yotsuya-san]

Ever hear of Steve Ditko?

The co-creator of Spider-Man is an Objectivist and hardcore Rand disciple?

No. I'm not talking about Stan Lee. I mean Steve Ditko. Most have never heard of him. So whatever happened to him and why do we only hear about Stan when it comes to Spidey. Spider-Man was the last big idea that Ditko had before falling into obscurity. All of the comics that Ditko did since then have been obscure stuff that proslytize Objectivism or such, mostly written by him.

Ditko has had nothing to do with Spidey since shortly after the character was created. He's still alive and in his 80s but languishing in borderline poverty and obscurity and denying the recognition and $$$ that could have been his all because of his slavish devotion to Ayn Rand.

If you want to know more read Stranger than Strange: The World of Steve Ditko by Blake Bell. It's very interesting how this book was written as Ditko doesn't give interviews and didn't participate in any way in the writing of the book.

Unlike Stan the Man and King Kirby, Ditko, unfortunately, was the kind of guy that never really got close to his colleagues or fans. We never got to know Ditko and it's doubtful that he will ever come out of his shell.

 

[Francisco d'Anconia]

You're absolutely right, I've never heard of the guy. I'm going to look him up.

 

[Lynx nkaf]

Roark's a wimp compared to the protagonist in "Atlas Shrugged." He could have done much more with his given principles than what he achieved. It wasn't bad but it wasn't great. The men in Atlas accomplished great things which literally impacted the world. "Anthem" was good and "The Fountainhead" was better but neither comes close to depicting the spectrum of self interest, reason and objective reality than "Atlas Shrugged."

your sosuave profile name...the copper magnate character

 

[zekko]

Ever hear of Steve Ditko?

As far as I know, Steve Ditko was the artist who drew the first Spider-Man book, because Stan Lee thought Jack Kirby was drawing him too muscular. I've always wondered if Jack actually designed the costume though, especially since he is the one who drew the cover.

 

[Georgepithyou]

Look up jordan petersons book recommendations, read up on Friedrich Nietzsche