Ayn Rand Nation

You may have seen the signs at Tea Party protest rallies: "Who Is John Galt?" or "Ayn Rand Was Right," among others. Embedded in the strident anti-Obama backlash is a revival of the writings of Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged and longtime hero to a small but fervent group of fans who wish to promote the supremacy of individualism and unregulated free-market capitalism in American life. Business journalist Weiss (Wall Street Versus America), a non-Randian, speaks to more recent readers of Rand's books and tries to understand the role her all-encompassing philosophy plays in their lives. He also investigates Rand's mentor relationship with former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan, whose deregulatory policies are considered largely to blame for the 2008 mortgage meltdown. Unlike most books on Rand, which tend toward the hagiographic, this one takes a reality-based look at the consequences of her ideas. Weiss lands a few deserved punches in this quick, magazine article-like read.