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Ayn Rand, a Russian native, was an author and philosopher credited with founding the philosophy of Objectivism.
In 2009, Rand's 1957 book, Atlas Shrugged became an Amazon.com bestseller as the fictional story she described in her novel, government control of American companies and banks, mirrored in some aspects the reality of 2008-2009 marked with government corporate bailouts and economic stimulus plans.AJC: Atlas Shrugged Riding High (April 27, 2009
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Fast Facts
- Born: 1905
- Died: 1982
- Born: St. Petersburg, Russia
- Lived in Russia through the Bolshevik Revolution (1917)
- Arrived in United States in 1926
- Moved to Hollywood to become a screenwriter in 1920s
- First novel: We the Living (1936)
- Fountainhead published: 1943
- No. of copies of Fountainhead sold since publication: 1 million +
- Philosophical influences: Nietzsche, Kant, Aristotle
- 1957: Atlas Shrugged publishedCNN: Atlas Shrugged Author Sees Resurgence (April 27, 2009)
- 2008: Atlas Shrugged sold 200,000 copiesCNN: Atlas Shrugged Author Sees Resurgence (April 27, 2009)
- Atlas Shrugged has been an Amazon.com top 50 best seller for more than a month during the Spring on 2009CNN: Atlas Shrugged Author Sees Resurgence (April 27, 2009)
- "Atlas Shrugged sold over 200,000 copies between January and April 2009CNN: Atlas Shrugged Author Sees Resurgence (April 27, 2009)
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Objectivism
In her foreword to Atlas Shrugged, Rand described her philosophy in these terms: "My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute." Critics of Objectivism feel it encourages selfishness and egoism. Rand has a large following in the business community; former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan delivered lectures on Objectivism in the early 1970s and was a member of Rand's inner circle. -
Atlas Shrugged Synopsis
- In Atlas Shrugged, a group of skilled and wealthy individualists go on strike and vanish in protest of government intervention in business. Railroad heiress Dagny Taggart and steel tycoon Hank Rearden, observing people whom they respect and admire as peers of ability, are trying to figure out what is going on.
Taggart and Rearden meet John Galt, "an engineer who had been elevated to legendary status by stopping the motor of the world in encouraging other individualists to drop out, and who delivers the novel's showstopping 50-page speech -- an expansive summary of Rand's philosophy."CNN: Atlas Shrugged Author Sees Resurgence (April 27, 2009)
Rand's opus also demonstrated little regard for corporations, as their interests were presented as oppositional to those people who had the knowledge and skill necessary to innovate. She referred in the book to the relationship of corporate lobbyists and politicians as the "politics of pull", where who a person knew in power had less weight than their ability or knowledge. -
Atlas Shrugged The Film
- During the 1970s and 1990s, the possibilities of a miniseries adaptation emerged and Albert S. Ruddy, the producer behind The Godfather, expressed interest in developing a film version.
- In 2006, interest of a film adaptation rose again with rumors of Angelina Jolie signed on to play Rand's heroine, rail magnate Dagny Taggart. Russell Crowe and Brad Pitt were also rumored to be attached to the project by as of the beginning of 2009, the status of the film unknown.CNN: Atlas Shrugged Author Sees Resurgence (April 27, 2009)
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Russia | Federal Reserve | Atlas Shrugged | The Fountainhead | Alan Greenspan | Nietzsche | Kant | Aristotle | Automaker Bailout | AIG Bailout | Mortgage Bailout Plan | Bank of America | Bailout Bill Passes | Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 | Bailout Bill Text | Black Monday 2008 | 2008 Economic Stimulus Plans -
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Questions and Answers About Ayn Rand | View All | Ask a Question
View All Ayn Rand Questions (7) | Ask a QuestionDoes Objectivism make any sense? Why have sales of Atlas Shrugged have gone up in a recession? Does Ayn Rand know something we dont? (1 Answer)Ayn Rand's philosophy is appealing to people who feel powerless, disenfranchised, especially if they feel they are smarter than others but just can't get ahead because the system keeps taking ... read moreHow would Ayn Rand react to the current policies and realities in the USA? Best argument/essay wins the twenty. (9 Answers)Rand would throw a major hissy fit. Rand believed in a pure (even naive) form of capitalism, in which a few entrepreneurs would create the industries that would employ the ... read moreDid Atlas Shrugged really predict our current financial situation, as the Wall Street Journal implies? (6 Answers)There are some similarities, certainly. I don't see the novel as being entirely an indictment of government so much as an indictment of cronyism, though. The novel also warns about ... read moreWhat are your favourite books, and why? (11 Answers)I like to read alot too. My friends think reading is some kind of disease, LoL. For a great inspirational read check out Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. Very ... read more
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Ayn Rand on Amazon | View All
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The Fountainhead (Centennial Edition Hardcover) - $39.95
A special edition hardcover in celebration of Ayn Rand’s centennial. When it was first published in 1943, The Fountainhead--containing Ayn Rand’s daringly original literary vision with the seeds of her groundbreaking p...
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The Passion of Ayn Rand - $9.98
An incredible true story of desire and deception. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 08/21/2007 Starring: Helen Mirren Julie Delpy Run time: 105 minutes Rating: Nr
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Ayn Rand - A Sense of Life (Director's Vision Edition) - $34.99
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ANTHEM - $0.99
Anthem is a dystopian fiction novella by Ayn Rand, first published in 1938. It takes place at some unspecified future date when mankind has entered another dark age as a result of the evils of irrationality and collectivism and the weakness...
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Ayn Rand Blogs and Commentaries
- The Weekly Standard: Alan Shrugged... and Washington Fell to Its Knees (October 8, 2007)
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Ayn Rand on Twitter Powered by Twitter
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Civil Trials in NYC for the uncivilized? "In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit." - Ayn Rand
@dolphsantorine | November 14, 2009 01:44 PM -
@BookTV David Boaz/Cato Institute praising Ayn Rand as libertarian kindred spirit? Now I know why I never finished Rand's books in HS.
@juskurius | November 14, 2009 01:43 PM -
RT @astronewth: Engasjert artikkel av en som vel nærmest kan karakteriseres som Ayn Rand-offer: http://tinyurl.com/yjh3gcw ;-)
@bstandal | November 14, 2009 01:26 PM -
RT @dreadpiratemick: Question. Who'd win in a fight between Ayn Rand and an ocelot? [A question for the ages.]
@naontiotami | November 14, 2009 01:23 PM -
Question. Who'd win in a fight between Ayn Rand and an ocelot?
@dreadpiratemick | November 14, 2009 01:22 PM
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