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Book Description After the publication of Atlas Shrugged in 1957, Ayn Rand occasionally lectured in order bring her philosophy of Objectivism to a wider audience and apply it to current cultural and political issues. These taped lectures and the question-and-answer sessions that followed not only added an eloquent new dimension to Ayn Rand's ide... (See the whole review)

Years ago, when I began engaging others in Internet discussion forums, I found myself groping for tools to analyze arguments.  As a sad statement of my college education, the logic course I took as a freshman only focused on "truth table" construction and never discussed the powerful body of informal fallacies compiled over the centuries.  A trip t... (See the whole review)

Florida Objectivist John White tackles the difficult situation in which many who face middle age find themselves: Broke, in debt and facing retirement age with no savings.  With wit and style, the author outlines a step-by-step plan for assessing the reader's current condition and helping the reader to reach a place of financial solvency in the sho... (See the whole review)

The late millionaire Charles Givens gained fame, fortune and notoriety as the leading American financial advice author in the 1990s.  His first book, Wealth without Risk, remained for many weeks on the bestseller list.  His follow-up book, Financial Self-Defense, also became a bestseller.  He later revised and updated his first book and published i... (See the whole review)

Amazon.com An Excerpt from Bill Watterson's Introduction: ... (See the whole review)

Attorney and author Gerry Spence has graced the world with his books and arguments for many years.  At the time of publication of this book in 1996, the author had never lost a case he had tried.  In this text, he outlines the logical and emotional aspects of argumentation. ... (See the whole review)

This is a recent collection in the Marvel Visionaries series (others include Stan Lee and Jim Steranko). ... (See the whole review)

http://www.larryelder.com/larrysbooks.html I highly recommend this book by libertarian author, Larry Elder. He has courage and confronts racists of all colors.   (See the whole review)

The author could easily have subtitled this book Assertiveness Training for Straight Men Who Date.  In a world of romantic literature polluted with titles like Why Men Won't Commit, The Commitment Cure as well as the myriad Mars and Venus cash cow texts, it seems that the overwhelming number of them aim at a female target market at the expense of e... (See the whole review)

This sweeping text opens with the author recounting how human civilization and its economies have progressed through a series of ages: ... (See the whole review)

Thomas W. Malone shows how today's companies must decentralize, loosen up corporate hierarchies and set up market mechanisms within the company to stay competitive. There's also a neat case study of  how Wikipedia was started by Larry Sanger and Objectivist entrepreneur Jimmy Wales.

In Serious Play, Michael Schrage shows how rapid prototypes and models affect innovation within companies. Schrage introduces the concept of shared space. He maintains that the areas of interaction in a company are extremely important in determing a company's success.

Barbara Branden commented sometime ago that she hadn’t known much writings about the lives in Communist China. I have since discovered Ha Jin, a Chinese born author and Professor of English Literature at Boston University. Ha Jin writes both poetry and fiction, in English. The subject matter of his fictions so far (except his latest novel War Trash... (See the whole review)

From the aptly named Galt Press comes the Complete Guide to Asset Protection Strategies by Mark Warda, Attorney at Law.  In modern America, no one remains safe from frivolous lawsuits.  A person's entire life savings can vanish overnight thanks to a tort system that rewards envy and careless living.  The American legal system authorizes tort lawyer... (See the whole review)

For a mystery which was written decades ago, "The A.B.C. Murders" is surprisingly modern in its sophistication.  People are being murdered by the letters of their names with the murders announced days in advance.  Is it a madman?  A patronizing criminal mastermind?  Agatha Christie delivers an intriguing ride of twists and turns. 

This graphic novel was the final work of master cartoonist Will Eisner. Throughout his career he developed most of the important narrative skills of the medium. Over the years he was one of the first to take the medium seriously as a place to tell stories and express ideas. ... (See the whole review)

Basement Nukes the Consequences of Cheap Weapons of Mass Destruction by Strauss, Edwin S.  ... (See the whole review)

Some fans of Rand have said that if _Atlas Shrugged_ is ever made into a movie that it should be "updated"--i.e., the passenger train industry should be replaced by passenger airplanes. I think it would quite foolish to tamper with _Atlas_ in such a way. It could also be said that the story of "Atlas Shrugged with Airplanes" has already been writte... (See the whole review)

At the encouragement of someone who has in the past shown interest in Objectivism, I read The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.  While I did not consider the reading a complete waste of time, I did consider the author so profoundly wrong about so many things that I cannot honestly recommend the book.  His thesis that "mind identification" serves as th... (See the whole review)

John Adams was the unappreciated genius of the American revolution.  Today, perhaps as a result of being dumbed own by public schooling, we confute the "revolution" with the "war for independence."  The fact is the revolution took place in the minds of the people, from 1765 if not earlier.  That distinction first was made by John Adams.  Historian ... (See the whole review)

This a book that I couldn't put down. It's a great read, and an interesting case in ethics that many Objectivists will like. The description on Amazon says it all, and I don't want to give away the details, but it's very well written and both emotional and entertaining. So read it!

This is a story often told.  However, based on excerpts from the author's website, I judge this to be a conceptual -- and conceptually moral -- retelling, more than just an adventure or a documentary. In these outtakes, the bold face type is my own highlighting of the clues that led me to judge this as much a work of morality as a mere war-story. ... (See the whole review)

Here's a book allegedly about junk science, and it devotes an entire chapter on the "myth" that free market medicine (as in the US) is better than socialized medicine.  Evidently "science" proves that socialized medicine is actually better.  By what standard, you ask?  Not to fear.  He starts with the assumption that universal healthcare and equali... (See the whole review)

Been going thru this book, and find it of much interest --especially regarding many comments made in the threads on religious moderates and fundamentalists... for instance -- "Religious moderation springs from the fact that even the least educated person among us simply knows more about certain matters than anyone did two thousand y... (See the whole review)

No rational observer will deny the role of religion in history.  Ayn Rand herself argued that ideas serve as the engine that moves history.  The core ideas of religion -- supernaturalism, mysticism, self-sacrifice, tribalism -- have influenced human action since man first walked the earth. Shortly before her death, Ayn Rand noted with trepid... (See the whole review)

Theology professor Dr. Robert Price has written a chapter by chapter refutation of evangelical Christian Rick Warren's best seller The Purpose-Driven Life.  Following Warren's format of 40 days of meditation, Price focuses on dissecting Warren's message by carefully examining the actual meanings of the Biblical passages Warren quotes.  In effect, P... (See the whole review)

Cities -- which may go back several ice ages -- began as trading communities of hunters and antedate agriculture. In fact, cities invented farming.  Just as modern farms depend on refrigeration, tractors, and electricity, so, too, did the first farms exist only because of the cities that caused and supported them.   ... (See the whole review)

I haven't read this book, but I'm considering it. The following is from a review: "They are often described as people who know the difference between right and wrong but don't care. Insofar as they make the distinction between right and wrong, they do so at a purely intellectual level. Otherwise, the only thing that constrains the behavior of ... (See the whole review)

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Just finished reading this book - fascinating overview of choosing a new company president, from a pro-business standpoint, especially in light of the times in which it was written, the early 50's...  and the ending is top-notch for suspence.... ... (See the whole review)

This work goes in hand, historically, with the Ben Bova commentary mindset - a detailed yet interesting write-up of the controversy over the Alien and Sedition Acts.... the Philadelphis Aurora was at the center of the controversy, it being the principle critique-er of the Federalist regime, and as such tremendously despised.....  very much reccomme... (See the whole review)

I just finished this book. It moved me in a life-altering way. No longer will I ever, ever sit back and take the news of an emergent war lightly. ... (See the whole review)

I have started this thread for comments on Dinesh D'Souza in general, not to be limited to the thread title. I have read D'Souza's Letters to a Young Conservative and his End of Racism. I found both lacking The Letters to a Young... series is of broad interest. I have read both Christopher Hitchens' ...Contrarian and Anna Deavere Sm... (See the whole review)

I am happy to announce Objectivity Archive. This site is an archive and library of Objectivity, now freely open to all readers and researchers.   Objectivity is a journal of metaphysics, epistemology, and theory of value informed by modern science. It consists of two volumes, each with six issues. It was a hardcopy journal, for subscribers, p... (See the whole review)

Ficciones is not the type of book that one usually finds recommended on an Objectivist forum. It doesn't have heroes who overcome injustice and persecution — instead Borges plays with reality within 17 short stories. In almost all his stories he warps, morphs and transforms reality in a very intriguing and imaginative way. In one story ther... (See the whole review)

Christopher Tolkien just released a version of the tale of the fall of Hurin's children that J.R.R. wrote many decades before. Many compare it to Macbeth, and some say Christopher finally let the work of J.R.R. speak for itself. I, for one, think it's worth a read if you love tragedies.

Henry Mark Holzer appeared on Book TV to speak about this book for approximately an hour on May 11th 2007. This show will probably be repeated. One can search at BookTV.org for future airings. From the website: The Supreme Court Opinions of Clarence Thomas, 1991-2006: A Conservative's Perspective from May 13, 2007 In his book "T... (See the whole review)

Ronald Reagan wrote a candid handwritten diary during his two terms in office. The diaries are, according to his editor, extraordinarily revealing and not at all self-serving. As so often in the past, those who would mock the man as shallow or un-self-critical are shown to be mistaken given this evidence in his own hand. Not the tool of the reli... (See the whole review)

While I have only just begun reading it, this book further proves that there is no prose writer alive with more wit, acumen, erudition, or clarity. Even when you disagree with him on minor points, you do so with enjoyment, because Hitchens always makes himself so clear that you cannot help but know both where and why you differ with him. A small ex... (See the whole review)

This was an interesting read.  For a number of years in the late 1970's, Reagan had a radio show where have gave what appears to be about a 5 minute speech.  He wrote most of them, and this book is full of them.  Each one shows the text, including edits.  It has a few copies of the originals as well. ... (See the whole review)

John Agresto has written a cogent and quotable pro-freedom and pro-Western yet unmerciful critique of the overthrow of Saddam and the failure of the allies to set up a stable state in the aftermath of his regime. Agresto argues that our failure is primarily due to the fact that we have forgotten ourselves how our own democracy was created, ... (See the whole review)

A re-telling of the Arthurian legend from the point of view of its female characters, primarily from that of Morgaine, a priestess of the pagan cult of the Mother Goddess at Avalon, this lengthy and very well developed story vies with Atlas Shrugged in its complexity of plot and characterization. Not so sexless as Tolkien nor as impersonal as some... (See the whole review)

Please follow this link to Hitchens' article in Slate. No, this is not a book review, but I saw no better way to list both the image and the link. (See the whole review)

A series of deaths is traced to the toxin of the blue-ringed-octopus. An MIT prodigy goes on an unexplained hiatus. A playboy businessman donates $250,000 to an environmental fund, the check is deposited to buy war weapons. A crew shows up to film hundreds of children drown in a flash flood, 30 minutes before rain begins to fal... (See the whole review)

A marvellous, small book on atheism for children and adults alike, wonderfully written. May I recommend everybody at Rebirth of Reason to read it (and, perhaps, even give some copies away as a gift to relatives and friends?) See more of it and view some of its pages in http://www.amazon.com/What-About-Gods-Skeptics-Bookshelf/dp/0879751061 ... (See the whole review)

Has anyone read this book yet? seems to be  Randian inspired.....

Occasionally a book will appear on the scene that embodies the written equivalent of jewels among feces.  This book represents such an example.  I found it both enlightening and infuriating at the same time.  I only read it back in late 1999 because I received it at no charge as a bonus "best seller" for joining a book club. ... (See the whole review)

I did a Toastmasters speech years ago based on this book and present here an outline of that speech.  It encapsulates the essentials of the book along with supplemental material.  I highly recommend that any lover of liberty read this book. ... (See the whole review)

I just finished reading this classic text and highly recommend all parents and adolescents read it as well.  It offers a thorough examination and critique of formal education and substantial reasons to pursue an informal education.  Loaded with references and resources, it belongs on the shelf of every person who loves individual liberty.  Its cent... (See the whole review)