From Publishers Weekly
At age nine, Ayn Rand (1905-1982) decided she would be a writer, and she achieved that goal with a speed and success most aspiring authors only dream of. (She published her first novel, We the Living, at the age of 28.) Britting, who produced the Oscar-nominated documentary Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life and is now an archivist at the Ayn Rand Institute, delivers her biography in short, manageable chapters that cover an average of 10 years each. Born in Russia in 1905, she immigrated to America as a young woman and worked in Hollywood film studios and theaters while trying to get her writing published. Like many authors, Rand experienced her share of initial rejection, but she soon became well known for controversial novels (i.e., The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged) that advanced her intensely individualistic philosophy. Britting’s writing is lively and engaging, and he doesn’t dwell on any single subject more than another. Anyone looking for an in-depth analysis of Rand’s thinking or of the fascinating periods in her life that Britting touches on, such as her role giving testimony for the House Un-American Activities Committee, should look elsewhere, but as a quick, general primer, this book does the job admirably. It features an impressive array of photos, many of which are published here for the first time, as well as reproductions of book jackets, letters, notes and artwork, which add richness to the narrative. A proponent of individualism and selfishness, Rand herself would no doubt be pleased with this to-the-point overview of her life and achievements. 50 color and 70 b&w illustrations.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–Part of an excellent series, this biography of the vocal proponent of individualism and capitalism, and a cult favorite, is chock-full of photos and drawings. Written by an archivist of the Ayn Rand Institute and an award-winning documentary filmmaker, it is short on text but contains the vital information and a well-distilled sense of Rand's sensibilities. Tracing her belief in the supremacy of capitalism from her formative years in Soviet Russia, through her various stints as a Hollywood screenwriter, to her magnum opus,
Atlas Shrugged, Britting describes his subject's early influences and developing philosophy. While there is not a great deal of time spent on Rand the woman, or her more scandalous endeavors, readers come away with an introductory understanding of her influences and her continuing impact as well as her dogged pursuit and promulgation of her ideals. Containing 50 color and 70 black-and-white illustrations of people, posters, notes, and book jackets, as well as a useful index and thorough notes, this is a quick and useful primer on Rand and superb starting point for more in-depth reports or background reading.
–Susan H. Woodcock, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
