Good introduction to Rands philosophy.

Despite what one might think about Rand and her ideas it is very difficult to deny that she was very original thinker learning how to think like her offers great benefits.

I, being very familiar with Rands philosophy beforehand, was hoping this would be more indepth book on Rands ideas. However it was more like broad overview but still going briefly deeper to advanced concepts.

While perfect for beginners and intermediates I found it bit too long and rambling after watching numerous lectures about Rand and her philosophy.

Despite this fact there very many great clarifications making this well worth my time as I noticed some aspects where my understanding was lacking.

Without all the background knowledge I had one might not be convinced about these ideas since it doesn’t go deep into the technical justifications and arguments. But if one wants to understand Rands thinking I believe this is the best place to start, unless one absolutely hates non-fiction and wants to study Rands ideas through her fiction. As of yet I have not read any Rands fiction so take this with a grain of salt.

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Fabulous

I have a first addition of the book and the audio version is a great addition to one's home library of Objectivist material. Recommended.

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2 people found this helpful

A must-read entry to the philosophy of Ayn Rand

The sound is crystal clear and well paced. Any slower and I might lose concentration repeatedly. Dr. Peikoff outlines Objectivism as comprehensively as possible for the newcomer to the philosophy. The ties between the five branches are also made explicit and clear, and so the honest must conclude that none of the propositions aspoused by Objectivism has been selected by chance or whim. A highly recommended read for every student of philosophy at uni level, though I will strongly advise a thorough read of The Fountainhead first, so that the few callbacks made to this book may be recognized by the reader.

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Interesting but hard going

As a fan of Ayn Rand, I gave this a go. slow at first but improves from chap 3 onwards once all of the explanations are out of the way.

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4 people found this helpful

Philosophy for living on this earth

Peikoff is a true Maestro of Objectivism. In this flagship work he expands on many of Rand's ideas. Such coverage is not available in any other book on objectivism, save only the works of Ayn Rand herself. You are guaranteed a full submersion into great ideas of a great philosopher.

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Compulsory listening for today's political leaders

The book starts off with a kind of "meta-philosophy" in which it philosophizes about philosophy itself -- which I found very abstract -- but as the book progresses, it becomes more and more concrete and practical, with many hands-on real life examples of how Objectivism could and should be applied in everyday situations.

It covers a wide range of topics such as ethics, law, business, economy, politics, love, sex, art, literature, journalism and more.

Even though the book is written by Leonard Peikoff, a female narrator is appropriate because these really are the thoughts of Ayn Rand. While listening, I got the impression that Johanna Ward enjoyed narrating this work just as much as I enjoyed listening to it.

I will definitely listen to this audiobook often, and I recommend it to anybody who is looking for solutions to the political-social-economic problems we face on a personal and a global level.

Well done to Blackstone Audio and to Audible!

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8 people found this helpful

Should be compulsory reading for scholars

The first couple of chapters are a bit repetitive, as foundation concepts are being made. After that, you're in for a journey through the thinking of an amazing thinker, packed with reason and sound arguments. An excellent book for questioning minds.

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