The Virtue of Selfishness

Although Ms. Rand can be very black & white about things (as most in this field tend to be) I found much of what she discusses in this book to be brilliant. I think it would be a better read, as her thoughts deserve more contemplation than the three seconds given between most sentences. WARNING: The narrator is extremely difficult to listen to! Her voice is boring and very cold, giving the impression that we are listening to something evil. If you've recently had some coffee and are in the mood to be challenged then this audiobook is for you. Overall good stuff.

As an enthusiastic student of Ayn Rand since my days at Princeton in the early 70?s (a member of a yearly trek of mathematicians and physicists to join a soiree of cohorts at Harvard backstage with Ms. Rand after her annual presentation at the Boston Forum) , this wonderfully read rendition of her masterpiece (primarily Chapter One: The Objectivist Ethics) rejuvenates my soul. I am a Medical Director of a very large Child and Adolescent Hospital currently adopting Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as the foundation for treatment and intend to incorporate Ms. Rand's teachings of ethics and morality as the basis for accepting a comprehensive model of CBT. Her philosophy today is more compelling than ever and merges seamlessly into the primary evidence based treatment of dealing with emotional disturbance, the cognitive therapy model. Thank you for putting this on audio!

Ayn Rand's "The Virtue of Selfishness" is possibly the most liberating treatise on human living ever put to pen. This work should be at the top of the list of essential reading. Moreover, the world would be a far better place if more people chose to live a rational, conscious life.

An excellent guide to understand the modern American minds. Add a dose of human compassionate and intuitiative moral compass... Enlightement

This philosophical treatise is pretty good. But even the author emphasizes that she has made her major points in the novel Atlas Shrugged. I agree that the message is much more clear in the novel and you don't really need to read this if you have read Atlas Shrugged.

In classical Rand fashion, she delivers a controversial rebuttal of societal norms. While I am sympathetic to her point of view, I think the book is mostly word play more than truly presenting a new view of ethics. She spends time redefining selfishness, only to come back and coalesce her view close to what is already the norm in society. For those not versed in Rand the content may seem outrageous and lead to a entertaining listen. For those versed in Rand, it is a primer in the underlying philosophy behind characters such as Howard Roark which was not explicitly discussed in the novel.

If you've ever questioned dogmas, then you would appreciate Ayn Rand's fresh metaphysical outlook.

If you've ever questioned dogmas, then you would appreciate Ayn Rand's fresh metaphysical outlook.

If you've ever questioned dogmas, then you would appreciate Ayn Rand's fresh metaphysical outlook.

If you've ever questioned dogmas, then you would appreciate Ayn Rand's fresh metaphysical outlook.

If you've ever questioned dogmas, then you would appreciate Ayn Rand's fresh metaphysical outlook.

This recording was excellently read and presented. I have been reading Rand of late and to her these views presented against the times Rand lived in were insightful and enlightening. Short but well worth a monthly point to listen to.

I read this some time ago and found it interesting, but unsettling. After reading a lot of other philosophers, developing an independent view of my own, and coming back to it, I appreciated it much, much more. The problem with Rand is her dogmatism toward her views. My own belief is that ethical frameworks are like solutions to problems, some are better than others, but we can theoretically test for fitness of solutions, in the midst of practical difficulties. She is certain that her view is 'correct', rather than superior to the other views she criticizes, and this turns people off. So you have to look past that. The thing is, I happen to think her ethical framework is an exceptionally good solution, which I appreciate more after reviewing the solutions of many other philosophers. The other thing she does is make rambling inferences along the lines of: altruism is self-loathing, self-loathing is destruction, destruction is murder (sorry I can't remember a real one). Some I agreed with, and some I didn't, but the very mechanism is just sloppy intellectualism, and she can do better. These sound very critical for a 5 star review, but the point is to understand this bathwater so that you don't throw out the baby.

Don't let the loafers paint you into a corner...

This is SO timely and pertinent to our present society's propensity to blame someone else ~ particularly someone successful ~ for personal failures and disappointments. Rand makes it crystal clear that the framing of the dialogue creates a biased game ... and if one doesn't recognize the rules of the game then one is doomed to lose.Owning our own "mom & pop" businesses, we have experienced the challenges to making them successful. I wish I had read Rand BEFORE we got started, so I could better understand that we were entitled to whatever success we created ... and that those who chose NOT to work at success the way we did were entitled to whatever they created ... but NOT to OURS. And that we shouldn't be ashamed for our success, nor feel responsible for others' lack.Rand describes why it is individual drive that creates buildings out of dreams, industry out of raw materials, and even shapes the improvement of living standards ~ and that the drive of individuals should be honored, not disemboweled.