Goddess of the Market

This was a very interesting read about Ayn Rand. Basically biographical, Jennifer Burns does a nice job of remaining extremely unbiased and non-judgmental throughout the book. I found the book to be rather readable. I hadn't before realized how intriguing and turbulent her life was, and though I heard she had become a bit crazy towards the end of her life, I didn't realize the extent, and the book filled in the details nicely.

This book, necessarily, also details the birth of the libertarian/anarchist movement of the 1960's, which I found more interesting than Rand herself. The interactions between the Conservative movement and the libertarian “hippies” were quite enjoyable - especially the draft card burning.

Her behavior towards the end of her life makes me want to read her works concerning intellectual property, which seemed to be a major difference between her and many anarchists of the time, who she accused of stealing her ideas. Since most of her work is derivative of previous philosophers, I wonder what her criteria were for using their ideas in her own dogma. Does an author have to be dead in order to use their works freely, or at least offer their ideas up to the public domain specifically?

I also enjoyed learning about Rand's personal political beliefs, like her pro-choice stance, opposition to the feminist movement, and opposition to the draft. The beliefs that clearly distinguished her from the conservative right were at many times stark.

Overall, a great book for anyone wanting to investigate the roots of Objectivism and Ayn Rand.