Ayn Rand and Business

Useful but slanted

This book does a decent job of showing how application of Ayn Rand's philosophy can improve your performance at work and your company's performance, but the authors have some incorrect notions of the scope of Ayn Rand's philosophy and it's proponents. The book can best be enjoyed by skipping the first section of the book which doesn't really pertain to the subject of the book. For the essence of her philosophy, I'd recommend Ayn Rand's 'For the New Intellectual'.

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Great Insight, Advice, Stimulation

Ayn Rand made a mark for herself as a philosopher, as an author, and as leader of a philosophical movement called Objectivism. Her books still sell well today, twenty years after her death. Best known are 'The Fountainhead' and 'Atlas Shrugged,' required reading for many high school and college students. I enjoyed reading those two masterpieces by Ayn Rand. Good stories, well-told, with some interesting points. But, truth be told, I didn't really get the whole message. Perhaps I was too young, too inexperienced, too sheltered, or too something. Part of my has always been curious about who Ayn Rand was, where she was coming from, and what lessons she was trying to teach. What was this Objectivism concept, anyway? Now, I understand. No, I won't claim to be a philosophical scholar of Objectivism and comparative schools of thought. But, from reading this book I have a much greater appreciation of the Objectivism approach. I enjoyed reading 'Atlas Shrugged' and have recommended the book many times over the years. As a result of reading 'Ayn Rand and Business' I have a much better idea of the motivations behind the characters and the theme. I really like the way Greiner and Kinni put this book together. They teach us quite a bit about Rand, her life, and the personal side of this controversial acclaimed author and her followers. Fascinating! (Did you know that Allan Greenspan was one of Ayn Rand's disciples? Reading this volume was an enjoyable journey; I hated to put the book down and was always eager to return to its pages. The authors reach into history and into Rand's writings to explain how her teachings relate to business, and they use modern (very recent) examples to illustrate how Objectivism concepts apply to business today. The book is simple in its organization: three sections. The first section devotes three chapters to Ayn Rand and Objectivism to give us a platform for understanding. The second section, Randian Work, presents eight chapters on Rand's philosophical principles applied to business. Included are rationality, independence, integrity, honesty, justice, productiveness, and pride. All are linked to the reality of today. This book really connects for students-of all ages-of business philosophy. The third section of the book, Randian Management, delivers leadership-focused chapters on Winning through Innovation, Managing People to Their Ultimate Potential, and Leading with Purpose. The value of the book is enhanced with a comprehensive bibliography of Rand's writings and an index. The smaller size of the book, 5 inches by I inches, gives a feeling of reading something from a long time ago, like the book should be leather-bound. There is 'long ago' in the book, wonderfully linked to right now. If you enjoyed any of Ayn Rand's writings, you'll get a lot from this book. If you are in business-as an owner or a leader or a manager, you will also benefit from 'Ayn Rand and Business.' And if you like to read though-provoking writing, spend some time with this book.

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