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Not knowing a lot about Ayn Rand, I saw this book on B&N's online store and bought it because I thought it would be helpful. While it was somewhat helpful, overall I found it to be a definite disappointment in content. Although it's presented as a writer's/reader's instruction, it contains so much about her philosophy of Objectivism, which is simply advocating a completely "me first and only" world. Her views promote a world of selfishness, without compassion, or concern for others. She very clearly states, "I am not my brother's keeper", and judging by her explanation of her philosophy, she means it. Most of her comments in this area are very self-centered and arrogant; several times comparing herself to some of the most gifted writers and flatly stating that she is a better writer, then proceeds to detail her perceived flaws in their writing. While it is good to be self-confident, she takes this to a new, very uncomfortable, level. Also, her instruction on writing fiction presents a very structured method, adhering closely to plot, theme (which is good), but seemingly not allowing for very much flexibility in the process (which is not). What I did find very interesting, and helpful, is her instruction on "concreting your abstractions"; how to integrate body & spirit in a scene. There were a few other instructions that were helpful as well. However, because of the inclusion of the principles of her Objectivism philosophy as a major part of this writing, I would not recommend the book to anyone. Her book...her right, but so disappointing.
