This book by novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand, (author of "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead") is a treatise on the politico-economic branch of her philosophy of Objectivism. The arguments put forth provide the moral backing that capitalism has always lacked, and without which it is doomed to destruction.

The essays included cover a wide range of topics: from the necessity of an economy based on a gold standard, to the reason why a free nation cannot benefit from the initiation of a war, to the injustice of anti-trust laws, to the critical importance of patent and copyright laws, and to the futile defenses of capitalism offered by conservatives. The clarity of Rand’s writing style simplifies the science of economics so that anyone willing to think can become a staunch defender of capitalism.

Rand’s unique perspective upholds businessmen as moral giants, and provides all the intellectual ammunition necessary for these men to finally be recognized as the heroes that they are.

I am no economist to comment on the feasibility of Ayn Rand's ideal world. But, I only wish every written work in all of literature is so convincingly written. This is the second of her books I read, after the Virtue of Selfishness. It makes one think whether some of the highly lauded modern social democratic processes are actually so evolved and advanced as they are credited for. The Chapters: Patents and Copyrights, The New Fascism and the Wreckage of the Consensus had me thinking a lot about moral "rights" and "wrongs." Over time, I wish I acquire the ability to write as piercingly as Ayn Rand could. Anyone interested in current social and political developments must read this book to understand how morally Ayn Rand assessed the issues of her time. A must-read book.....

This book is a searing commentary on the machinations of the left and the right with regards to both parties abject disregard or abjuration of the idea of freedom. What's more is that to read this book now, some 43 years after its first printing is to listen to the the prescience of the author herself. Agree ordisagree, it's hard to deny the fact that she not only predicts our current financial crisis to a "T" but nails the all too familiar culprits squarely to the wall in doing so.

Her fiction, non-fiction and biographie must be read. Get to it NOW

Very good, some essays written by Alan Greenspan as well as Nathaniel Branden and Ayn Rand.

The immorality of altruism...Conventional wisdom has always seemed to say that capitalism is a cut-throat system that rewards selfishness and materialism, leaving most of society out in the cold. Collectivism, on the other hand, is a fair and thoughtful system that provides for society as a whole. I had heard plenty about Ayn Rand over the years, but haven't read any of her books until now. Her contribution to the defense of capitalism is huge as I have never heard such well formed arguments. Rand effectively argues that capitalism is the only morally defensible economic system. Additionally, she shows that capitalism is the system which is most aligned with individualism, political freedom, and personal liberty. I have always sided with capitalism, agreeing that Marx had correctly pointed out its shortcomings while proposing an unrealistic ideal. Reading this book has forced me to reevaluate my thoughts on capitalism, leading to a much more comprehensive understanding of capitalism and its virtues as well as collectivism and its failures.

The philosophical equivalent of "eat more cookies and you'll lose weight." To see the shallowness of Rand's vision check out Whitaker Chambers' devastating review of Atlas Shrugged.

What is great about Rand is she is able to take a rather dry, boring, academic topic and make it seem literary in nature; as to posses some artistic merit. Linking not just economics, but history, politics, and philosophy into the trademark "Randian" approach. Her work is inspiring and original in thought, not just this book, but her other works as well.

Anyways, back to the book...

I go for a walk, I walk in circles...
You can tell a lot by how people walk
Who they are, what kind of person they are
Do they make eye contact?

There are too many people

I go for a walk, I walk in circles...

As the sun is round, flashes of light blast the streets,
basking in the bullion
Gold immerses the water, the land
on, off, on and off and on again
Bright light on bland faces of drudgery, miscalculated, misaligned
no facial symmetry, disgusting

Day, to dusk, dusk until dawn, day again

Rabbits half visible, half under the dock as I walk over them
How many fucking rabbits are there?

Definitely not a fan of her non-fic, but her essays on capitalism and the role of government are spot on. Written elegantly and simplistically. Far cry from her novels which read like monstrous hybrids of manifesto/soap opera.

I gave this two stars for two reasons, One for each star, 1. When looking more into what Rand says, her whole notion of life and people is flawed 2. Capitalism isn't a perfect idea as she claims it to be. I can blab on like she does and sell books too.

Mein zweites Buch von Ayn Rand, das ich mit dem Vorwissen aus „The Virtue of Selfishness“ gelesen habe. Dieses Vorwissen ist auch sehr ratsam, da die gesamte Moraltheorie, auf deren Rand's Verteidigung des Kapitalismus basiert, schwer nachzuvollziehen ist.

Mit dieser Vorbemerkung also rein in die Review: Anders als in "The Virtue of Selfishness" illustriert Rand ihre Moralphilosophie an einigen (zur Zeit der Veröffentlichung der Beiträge) aktuellen Ereignissen. Dabei gibt es viele Querverweise auf das Frühwerk Rands, insbesondere „Atlas Shrugged“. Das Buch besteht darüber hinaus aus einer Sammlung von Essays die so bereits von Rand oder den Co-Autoren veröffentlicht wurden.

Es wird deutlich, dass die Moralphilosophie den produktiven Menschen in den Mittelpunkt stellt und diesen auch über andere stellt. Statt Interdependenz gibt es einen eindeutigen Bias zu den Unternehmern. Die haben sicherlich viel Lob verdient, jedoch ist die Erhöhung von Menschen auf ein Podest immer mit etwas Vorsicht zu genießen.

Die Beiträge von Alan Greenspan sind dabei stets am angenehmsten. Greenspan findet eine angenehme Balance aus Direktheit und Zurückhaltung, anders als Rand, die oft mit einem sehr bitteren Unterton schreibt.
Der Rest der Essays bewegt sich wie ein Metronom zwischen „kann man überspringen“ und „interessant“. Leider wiederholt sich Rand sehr häufig, sodass man gegen Ende des Buches oft die gleichen Argumente in neuem Kontext präsentiert bekommt.

Richtig spannend wird es, wenn Rand ihr eigenes positives politisches Programm skizziert; leider nehmen diese Abschnitte nur einen kleinen Teil des Buches ein. Es bleibt daher unter seinem Potenzial, auch wenn es besser ist als „The Virtue of Selfishness“.

This is one of the greatest books I've read. There are only three books I immediately began to re-read upon finishing and this is one of them. The other two are "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins and "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis. While I've never been a great fan of her fictional works, I've been a great fan of Ayn Rand ever since reading this book. Not to say that I don't think her fictional works are great (I just don't enjoy fiction). I really can't say why I enjoy the book without going over just about every page. So, I'll simply say that it is a must read.