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Sure, the woman was merely stating her opinion. But it was during a Q&A session. The context is entirely inappropriate for her stating her opinions, especially when she accuses Ayn Rand of running a cult and basically spitting on her philosophy. Obviously, this was an attempt to attack her ideas with smears, not with arguments. It's not a matter of agreement or disagreement. She was supposed to ask a question, but instead flung insults at Ayn Rand.

Watch out for Hitchens, Dawkins and other "New Atheists". On the surface he may seem like down-to-earth opponents to religion, but he promotes a non-objective, mystical epistemology by claiming that humans are moved by some "innate conscience". This is the exact opposite of Objectivism. He merely offers a substitute for faith, but the method is clearly the same. I would like to point you to a revealing article denouncing these New Atheists: http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues...ew-atheists.asp P.S. You can get one free copy of The Objectivist Standard from their website. I got the issue featuring this article in the mail recently. If anybody's interested in the application of Objectivism in current events, I highly recommend TOS.

Objectively Speaking is a new book edited by Marlene Podritske and Peter Schwartz, which features interviews with Ayn Rand. Has anyone here picked this up? I think it came out just recently. I enjoyed Ayn Rand Answers, so I may find this worth reading. What do you think?

There's a reason why Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand by Leonard Peikoff, or John Galt's speech in Atlas Shrugged are not presented as a series of aphorisms akin to the book of Proverbs in the Bible. It simply cannot be presented in such a format. The Ten Commandments are a series of "thou shalt's" without cause. The entire philosophy of Objectivism is built from the ground-up, from metaphysics to politics to aesthetics, based on man's nature. Morality is a tool for human survival, and it is in one's selfish interest to act morally. So Objectivism's moral principles cannot be a mere grocery list of do's and dont's. There is one very effective way to sell Objectivism: let it sell itself. It has worked fine before. Most people picked up Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead by word-of-mouth, and became Objectivists since then. You must make an effort to understand Objectivism fully if you want to spread it. I have been reading Ayn Rand's fiction and non-fiction for years, yet I can not claim to fully understand Objectivism. In Objectivism, it's quality, not quantity, that matters. That is why I don't try to "save" my friends with Objectivism, but rather, when they claim something I know to be wrong, I tell them. Don't keep silent about your friends' (or co-workers' or acquaintances') ideas if they attack yours. If they ask you to support your claim, be ready to do so. You are hurting your cause if you accept Objectivist ideas haphazardly like religious dogma. It is contrary to what Objectivism is trying to achieve. Get over the fervor of discovering her ideas and wanting desperately to spread them. There are already people who are doing it, and doing it right. Read Ayn Rand's Philosophy: Who Needs It, particularly the article "What can one do?". Read Objectivism: Philosophy of Ayn Rand, until you understand it. Listen to Peikoff's podcasts on peikoff.com, to get better acquainted with how Objectivist thinkers work out philosophical problems. Those are just starters. You have to work on being an example yourself. Otherwise you'll look no different from freshly-converted Christians, Scientologists, whatever, and be labeled a "Randian".

I must agree with you on that. Economics in One Lesson is also recommended by Dr. Peikoff, which is reason enough for me to read it. If you happen to Google it, many pdf or HTML versions of the book come back as a result. I thought it was public domain at first, but upon research I'm almost 100% sure that these are illegal copies. It's not hard to find this book used online, for cheap. Also Capitalism: An Unknown Ideal, of course, if you haven't read it already. If you're interested in "Objectivist Economics," this is it. A little difficult to grasp, but it definitely reveals many economic myths in its naked ugliness. Definitely worth a read.

Hello, I stumbled upon this website from a Google search. I thought it will be interesting to have discussions about Objectivism, as I have never had the chance to have a good conversation about it in my normal, everyday life. A little about me: I'm 20, male, a student at a community college studying CIS, and I've been a fan of Ayn Rand's novels for roughly 4 years. I've read Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead, and various non-fiction works. I'm currently working on reading OPAR. Nice to meet you all!