Authors to follow

Table of Contents

Trifecta of sanity

  1. Douglas Murray
  2. Jordan Peterson
  3. Thomas Sowell

Authors to follow

There is an option in goodreads.com called “Similar authors”. It seems to be a good resource for recommending authors based on different criteria.

  1. Alan Watts
  2. Arundhati Roy
  3. Bill Bryson
  4. Bill Clinton
  5. Eric Schmidt
  6. George Pelecanos
  7. Ivan Eland
  8. Jack Kerouac
  9. Jim Rohn - Average rating of the books written by this author is: 4.38. Jim Rohn was an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker. His rags to riches story played a large part in his work, which influenced others in the personal development industry.
  10. Jordan Peterson
  11. Julian Barnes
  12. Kafka
  13. Keegan
  14. Niall Ferguson
  15. Noam Chomsky
  16. Paul Allen
  17. Peter Lynch
  18. Rebecca Solnit
  19. Thomas Sowell -
    1. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2056.Thomas_Sowell
    2. A Personal Odyssey
  20. W. E. B. Du Bois
  21. Vivek Ramaswamy
    1. Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam.
    2. Nation of Victims: Identity Politics, the Death of Merit, and the Path Back to Excellence.
    3. Capitalist Punishment: How Wall Street Is Using Your Money to Create a Country You Didn’t Vote For.
  22. Scott Galloway: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14343275.Scott_Galloway
  23. Tim Spector https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1132349.Tim_Spector
    1. Food for Life: The New Science of Eating Well
    2. The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat

Ayn Rand

What are the pros and cons about reading Ayn Rand books?

Reading Ayn Rand’s books can be a polarizing experience, and there are several pros and cons to consider:

Pros

  1. Philosophical Insight: Rand’s works introduce readers to her philosophy of Objectivism, which emphasizes individualism, rational self-interest, and capitalism. This can provoke thought and discussion on personal values and societal structures.
  2. Engaging Narratives:
    1. Many readers find her novels, particularly “Atlas Shrugged” and “The Fountainhead,” to be compelling stories with strong characters and dramatic conflicts. This can make philosophical ideas more accessible.
    2. She can crystallize thoughts and feelings you may have had all your life. Her writings have the ability to alter you forever.
  3. Critique of Collectivism: Rand’s critique of collectivism and her advocacy for personal freedom resonate with many who value individual rights and responsibilities.
  4. Motivational Themes: Her emphasis on self-empowerment and the pursuit of one’s own happiness can be inspiring, encouraging readers to pursue their goals and ambitions.
  5. Cultural Impact: Rand’s works have had a significant influence on political and economic thought, especially in libertarian and conservative circles. Understanding her ideas can provide insight into contemporary debates.
  6. Makes you think about democracy and what economic system you want, and how it has to work.
    1. So she brought that discussion into the public sphere.
    2. You CANNOT create or sustain a democracy or a “freedom” economic model, without participation of the public, from free will, not coercion or tyranny.
    3. So consider HOW you educate the public about maintaining freedom, fairness, legality and avoid tyranny, monopoly, unfairness, etc.
    4. When people VOTE, the choice should be from an independently informed and independently deciding voter, who is aware of the issues year-round and who SHOULD know how the candidates and political parties operate.

Cons

  1. Polarizing Views: Rand’s philosophy can be divisive. Some readers find her ideas overly simplistic or extreme, particularly her rejection of altruism and collectivism.
  2. Characterization and Style: Some critiques focus on her writing style, arguing that her characters can be one-dimensional or that her plots are overly didactic. This can detract from the reading experience for some.
  3. Controversial Ideas: Rand’s views on capitalism, government, and ethics can be controversial and may not resonate with those who hold different political or moral beliefs. This can lead to discomfort or disagreement.
  4. Simplistic Dichotomies: Critics argue that Rand often presents a black-and-white view of complex issues, which may oversimplify important social and economic dynamics.
  5. Limited Perspective: Some readers feel that her focus on individualism neglects the importance of community and social responsibility, which can be essential in addressing societal challenges.

Conclusion

Whether to read Ayn Rand’s books depends on your interests and openness to her ideas. They can be thought-provoking and motivating for some, while others may find them contentious or lacking depth in certain areas. Engaging with her works can be valuable for understanding a range of philosophical and political perspectives.

Opinions about her

(Quora)

Is it true that Ayn Rand ended her life broke and reliant upon Social Security? If so, how did she end up in this situation despite writing multiple famous novels?

Franklin Veaux, Small business owner, sexuality educator, writer, Lives in Portland, OR

Yes, but it’s so, so much worse than that.

She ended up broke, reliant on Social Security, and with lung cancer. She was an avid and enthusiastic smoker, and she publicly, loudly, and frequently derided the “fake science” that said smoking was linked to lung cancer. In fact, she—get this, I swear I am not making this up—she told her followers they should smoke, because smoking was a token symbol of how humanity mastered the force of fire. Yes, I’m serious.

She actually said that not only did smoking not cause cancer, but that people who said it did were repeating “Communist propaganda”—yes, really—and that “correlation is not causation.”

After she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1974, she couldn’t afford treatment, so she was covered by Medicaid. She refused to back down on the idea that smoking is harmless and doesn’t cause lung cancer, continuing to insist that lung cancer and smoking have nothing to do with each other until she died. Of lung cancer.

You can’t make this shit up.

Ayn Rand is like a cartoon villain from an episode of Rick and Morty. She was comedically inept, arrogant, and cartoonishly unable to see what was right in front of her. She was emotionally unstable, erratic (she destroyed the Objectivist schools founded by her lover Nathaniel Branden, who she had an affair with; she believed that monogamy was an archaic relic, but freaked out when he began a relationship with someone other than her, and spent the rest of her life destroying him), stubborn, and hilariously hypocritical.

I will not, if I live to be a thousand years old, ever understand why people worship this woman. She was more wrong more frequently on a wider range of topics than any human who came before her up to Aristotle, but unlike Aristotle she was mendacious about it.

TODO

https://medium.com/great-books-great-minds/ayn-rand-ambition-and-the-power-of-reading-516272b9afa0

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