Read this only if: 1) you don't already know that capitalism is an ideal, 2) you really like to read lecture notes, or 3) you have a goal to read everything Ayn Rand ever read. Unfortunately, in my case, only #3 applied.

Capitalism is not a crime.

Reading essays by Ayn Rand, Alan Greenspan, et al isn't the most entertaining of reads, and was quite rough at times. I'd prefer to read the theories they have in novel form (Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, etc), though there were some essays that were scarily on-point regarding the current economic situation.

Great book.

Some essay collection mostly by Ayn Rand, and farther articles from her colleague Alan Greenspan, Nathaniel Branden, and Robert Hessen. A complete thought of capitalism, a system, which arises among free individual that relating to reason to prolong one's life is the only way to survive as a human being. It mainly discussed laissez-faire capitalism, and in regards to private property (patents and copyright). It relate today's government current affair. I highly recommend this book to anyone, it worth reading.

My favorite quote in this book.
Economic progress, like every other form of progress, has only one ultimate source: man's mind---and can exist only to extent that man is free to translate his thought into action.

As I was reading this collection of essays, mostly by Ms. Rand from the 1960s, I thought the book should be required reading for everyone graduating from high school. After finishing the book, I now believe that a final examination on the two appendices to the book should be a prerequisite for graduation.

Ruthlessly consistent in her logic and direct with her language, Rand expresses ideas held by all of us at an almost superfluous level, but then asks (requires) the reader to burrow down many levels to get to the true kernel of what she believes.

Bring a real desire to learn if you want to fully appreciate the book.

This is the best book I've read in support of Capitalism. It is especially important in light of our current rush to Socialism. The book give the moral foundation of Capitalism.

A collection of essays most compiled by Ayn Rand and including others such as Nathaniel Branden, Alan Greenspan and Robert Hessen. The text focuses on the nature of capitalism and its importance as a social system promoting property rights, free enterprise and ethical individualism.
Here Rand also applies her philosophy of Objectivism to politics.

This is a collection of hatred essays, focusing on anti-socialism and linking that to the moral impact rather than economic as seen in many similar books.
I will not put myself in a position to judge the author's opinion, and I will try not to bring in my anti-capitalist spirit into this, yet, I can't but say that this book is a mess.
There are many and many se observations, and inaccurate myths that the author brings in, defending inappropriate behavior and putting the blame on the system, once and always.

It is not a valuable read. It was not very pleasant and enriching.
If you are reading this book, try this:
Take a chapter, replace all the words "social" with "capital" and vice versa.
What do you notice? interesting right?

This tells enough on how weak this book is.

If you read any of this book, read the first half. The collection of essays in the first part of the book are masterfully written expressions of the morality of economic conservatism, and will leave you questioning your public high school history, government, and macroeconomics curriculums. Isn't it odd that we spend months in high school studying Keynes, and just hours studying Friedman, von Mises, and Laffer?

The second half of this book is fairly difficult to read and a little annoying. It's just a lot of kvetching from Ayn Rand, but it is funny to see how many parallels can be drawn between current events and Rand's 1960s rantings.

AMAZING! Every liberal who is misinformed needs to read this excellent book, maybe then they will start to open their fragile little minds and begin to understand that America is the greatest place to live.

June 2, 2008
June 12, 2008