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Letters Of Ayn Rand
 
 
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Letters Of Ayn Rand [Hardcover]

Ayn Rand (Author), Leonard Peikoff (Foreword), Michael Berliner (Editor)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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From Publishers Weekly

Novelist, screenwriter, philosopher and staunch advocate of laissez-faire capitalism, Ayn Rand (1905-1982) saw communism, Nazism and fascism as kindred evils sprung from the same collectivist mentality. Her atheist philosophy, which she called objectivism and which was reflected in her bestselling novels?The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged?extolled individualism, voluntary cooperation and conscious choice while condemning altruism (living for others) and self-sacrifice as moral fallacies. These themes resound in her outspoken, sometimes strident correspondence, which includes letters to Senator Barry Goldwater, Frank Lloyd Wright, H.L. Mencken, Dashiell Hammett, Cecil B. DeMille and actors Robert Stack and Barbara Stanwyck. Sprinkled with critiques of liberals, leftists and others whom she saw as corrupted by collectivist thinking, the voluminous correspondence reflects Rand's desperate concern for her parents and sisters, trapped under Stalinism in her native Russia (which she left for Hollywood in 1926), and includes her analyses of her novels' plots as well as pessimistic cultural commentary on an America she considered to be in decline. Berliner is executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Novelist-philosopher Rand--the advocate nonpareil of rationalism; of unfettered, unregulated capitalism; of individual rights and responsibilities--wrote her letters as carefully as her books because, she said, of the necessity of guarding her words when writing to relatives in the Soviet Union. Her precise missives always said exactly what she meant, and whether writing to fans, friends, business associates, or strangers, Rand was never at a loss for words. One of the unexpected pleasures of this collection is the copious professional advice she gave beginning writers, yet the heart of the letters as much as of her books is, of course, her political and philosophical views. Imbued with her fiercely held beliefs, the letters most devoted to politics and philosophy fairly blaze off the page. Rand always held to and fluently and lucidly explained the distinction between her philosophy, objectivism, and the various phases of twentieth-century American conservatism. Regardless of one's opinion of her thinking, her letters add greatly to our understanding of a most exceptional woman of letters. Dennis Winters
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Ayn Rand arrived in America on February 18, 1926. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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14 Reviews
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3.9 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4.0 out of 5 stars The Other Side of Ayn Rand, Dec 10 2003
This review is from: Letters of Ayn Rand (Paperback)
This collection of Ayn Rand's letters is an interesting and important addition to her works. It was edited by Michael Berliner, then-executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute. (ARI advocates the "Official Objectivism" of Leonard Peikoff.) For those who know Rand through her at times shrill writing and the self-serving accounts of former insiders, this collection presents a valuable "other side" to Rand. Written over a period of 55 years, we read love letters to her husband, letters to friends and fans, and letters to politicians. In fact, Rand corresponded with some of the most famous people of the century, such as Alexander Kerensky, H. L. Mencken, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Barry Goldwater, to name a few. The philosophical portions of the letters are quite meaty, and Rand obviously put a great deal of effort into her correspondence.

Not surprisingly, the only letters to Nathaniel Branden included were written before he became her associate. The end result is that Branden's contributions to Objectivism are downplayed, which is typical of the material produced by the ARI. (For example, even though Rand approved of Branden's writings published prior to their split, they do not appear in THE AYN RAND LEXICON or other post-split collections.)

The most interesting selections are the letters to Isabel Paterson and the distinguished philosopher John Hospers. In order to get permission to quote Hospers' comments contained in Rand's letters, the editor was obliged to include a statement from Hospers. As Hospers says, Rand occasionally misrepresented or misunderstood his point, so printing only Rand's letters to Hospers makes him "look like a bloody fool. . . . And that isn't quite fair, is it?"

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5.0 out of 5 stars It's a shame someone has to die..., Oct 26 2003
By 
David Christian "dv8" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Letters of Ayn Rand (Paperback)
...in order for a book like this to be published. But finally we get a real look into the private life of a fascinating author and philosopher. Having just finished a number of years at PSU, it seems clear that Objectivism is making headway as a serious philosophical view.

I'm more interested in music myself than philosophy, but I did notice that in the study of philosophy the Ball that Miss Rand got rolling so many years ago has gathered quite a bit of size and speed. Her ideas made sense to me both before and after I studied Logic, Semantics, and Philosophy. In fact, after studying the "big boys," as one professor of mine called them, I definitely saw a need for a philosophy that states that things are what they are!!

Anyway, I'm devouring this book!!!

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2.0 out of 5 stars Maybe worthwhile for Rand scholars...., July 11 2003
By 
Arthem "arthem" (Knoxville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Letters of Ayn Rand (Paperback)
Perhaps I was just coming down off of an Ayn Rand high when I read this, but whatever the case, this collection of correspondance just doesn't deserve a place beside Rand's self-published work, which is in sufficient abundance to make a collection like this unwarranted.

If you are thoroughly absorbed into Rand's Cult of Personality (amazingly effective even after her death), then you will probably enjoy this work. There was certainly a time where I would have devoured every letter. If, on the other hand, you have been impressed and affected by The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, We The Living, or Anthem, I would strongly suggest working through Rand's nonfiction before diving into this book.

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