I'm just finishing up Atlas Shrugged now, and i think it is one of my favorite books i've ever read, and the philosophy of Objectivism is just awesome. So, anyway, as the poll suggests, i wanted to find out how many people have read Ayn Rand, and what you thought of her stuff, if you have.

P.S. If you've read more then one, jsut put your favorite

I hate her so much... ugh.

The philosophies, whatever. I disagree with her on alot of fronts, but thats not the problem.

Everything she writes is really dry, and really uninteresting. I found reading such a long book as atlas shrugged a kind of daunting task, right from the beginning, and the 9, 10 page monologues of nothingness didnt help.

Side note, one of my favorite jokes ever:

Today is Ayn Rand's birthday, Im making a cake and giving it to no one.

I read Anthem and enjoyed it a lot.

I've never actually read any of her work, but I did see the nearby college's production of The Night of January 16th. I got to be on the jury for the show, and it was a great experience - I kept forgetting that I was watching a play!

Ayn rhymes with Mine, not Anne.

I should know, I studied her stuff in my Phil Quest class.

My teacher calls her 'Anne', so meh.

I have read anthem... neat but not anything i would want to live by

Ayn Rand and its followers freak me out, one time waiting in a lobby a guy with an Ayn Rand hat came up to me and gave me a card for an essay scholarship thing that Ayn Rand supporters give out for H.S. students. Anyways I told him how I went to a catholic school and he started questioning my faith since I have never seen God.

Also the Church of Satan is based on alot of the idealogy that Ayn Rand wrote... I think I'll pass...

As far as anti-christian, in 'Atlas', its nothing specifically against the possibility of God, but yeah, it is against many of the basic priciples of Chrsitianty, such as voulenteer public service. And i don't know about the church of Satan business.

Tried to read Fountainhead, it was horrible, never made it.

Read up on any of the First Satanic Church or Church of Satan organizations and they literally state the LaVey (found of CoS) took many of Ayn Rand's philosophies for the Satanic Bible... Its teaching is more to serve yourself before others and be a basically an ******* out for only your own good... (better to reign in hell then serve in heaven)

http://www.the600club.com/satanism/

http://www.satanicchurch.com/content/links.aspx

Happy reading

Never: I wasn't doubting you, i can see how the philosophy can be used. i was simply stating my ignorance. I don't really have time to look through those sites now, but thanks for finding them.

oh, and about "better to rule in hell", that doesn't have anything to do with Ayn Rand. Rand has no problem with serving under someone, provided that they have more skill then yourself. The thing she's against is serving those below you when you receive nothing in return, especially when they act as if its your duty to do so.

"The pursuit of your own rational self-interest and of your own happiness is the highest moral purpose of your life."

Ugh. It's acquired sociopathy.

God forbid being caring and selfless every once in a while.

...it's also the exact same principles upon which the United States is founded..

Ayn Rand takes the fundementals of Capitialism and Democracy to extremes, some are simply unsafe for human society.

And look what good it has done for America. Hmmm.... one of the, if not the, last remaining superpower(s).

I take it you hate her writing but like the theory?

I'm confused.

STORY TIME:

Once upon a time, I was downtown and there was a big banner asking, "Who Is the Self??? Come find out with speaker Ayn Rand on date/time/etc.!" Now, I thought she was dead for a while, so I went to investigate!

I went with friends to the lecture/discussion/thing, expecting to see Ayn Rand I guess, but there was just an empty room with a television playing a video. The video was not of Ayn Rand. The video was of someone giving a lecture about her. It's understandable that they couldn't get the undead Ayn Rand to come lecture, but they could have at least got a live person to talk about her. I can watch tv on my own time.

Biggest let-down ever!

THE END

I <3 Ayn Rand and Anthem

Mort: Not as much as you might think. The preamble to the US constitution: Collectivist is a better description for my country's founding principles than objectivist, although I'd say it managed the middle path.

Freelancer: Since we never were a superpower until after we became a welfare state, I'd say the lesson isn't clear.

Her writing is very dry and looooog, so i can understnad that he likes objectivism but not the books.