About this title: The controversial author Ayn Rand reasons the nature of art and its purpose in human life. Challenging conventional ideas, Rand searches for truth through her own unique philosophy.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: The World Publishing Co
Date Published: 1970
Description: Good in acceptable jacket. Jacket has sticker residue on front, an inch-long tear on the top of the spine, staining and wear. Boards are faded and worn at edges. Page edges have foxing and tanning. Bottom page edges are blue, possibly from the bleeding of the boards. Text appears clean. A REAL Used Bookstore since 1991. No-hassle return policy if not completely satisfied. read more
Edition: Reprint
Binding: Hardcover. First Printing
Date Published: 1969
Description: Very Good with no dust jacket. This is a stated first printing, but it is clearly a reprint. The publication information is all in Chinese. The binding is a deep red silk with bright gilt lettering and minor rippling. Light foxing to endpapers, former owner's name and address written in front and back endpapers, owner name written on top and bottom page ends. Probably a pirated edition, this is an interesting hardcover copy of an important work. 8vo-8" to 9" tall. 201 pages. read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: World Publishing, NY
Date Published: 1969
Description: Good in Good jacket. Former library copy with the usual library distinctions, with dustjacket. Some underlining, still in library mylar. A nice first printing reading copy. All of our books are hand selected and are as described. read more
Edition: 1st Edition 2nd Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: World Publ. Co., New York, NY
Date Published: 1970
Description: VG+/Near Fine. DJ with Mylar 201pp(Index) Price clipped, 1/4" long red line on bottom page ends, o.w. clean, tight & bright. NO ink names, bookplates, DJ tears etc. read more
Edition: First edition. 1st printing.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: World Publishing Co., New York
Date Published: 1969
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Clean, tight. Top edge random spotting. Two short (3/8ths in. ) closed tears to DJ edges. 201 p.; 21 cm. Blue cloth covered baords, silver spine titles. DJ blue & green, white & black titles. Essays from her monthly "Objectivist" publication, defining the nature of art, much as she had for ethics. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: New York: The World Publishing Company, 1969
Description: First Printing. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. 201 pages, index. Hardbound. Light blue cloth binding with silver ink stamping on spine. Very Good condition with Good dust jacket having some closed tears a nd rough top edge. read more
Edition: Second Revised Edition
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: New American Library, New York
Date Published: 1975
Description: Softcover. Good condition. In this beautifully written and brilliantly reasoned book, Ayn Rand throws a new light on the nature of art and its purpose in human life. Once again Miss Rand eloquently demonstrates her bold originality and her refusal to let popular catchwords and conventional ideas stand between her and the truth as she has discovered it. Includes an Index. read more
Binding: MP3 CD
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, Inc.
Date Published: 7/1/2008
ISBN-13:9781433226731ISBN:1433226731
Description: New. 1433226731 Requires MP3 compatible player. Brand new MP3-CD shipped directly from manufacturer in original packaging. Satisfaction guaranteed. Prompt shipping with excellent customer service. read more
Binding: Audiobook Cassette
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
Date Published: 7/1/2008
ISBN-13:9781433226694ISBN:1433226693
Description: New. 1433226693 Brand new audiobook on CASSETTE TAPES shipped directly from manufacturer in original packaging. Packaged in a sturdy vinyl clamshell for maximum protection. Satisfaction guaranteed. Prompt shipping with excellent customer service. read more
Description: Acceptable. Dust jacket is very worn around top edge of book. Book is ACCEPTABLE with noted wear to cover and pages. Binding intact. May contain highlighting, inscriptions or notations. We offer a no-hassle guarantee on all our items. Orders generally ship by the next business day. Default Text. read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: World Publishing Co.
Description: Very Good in Very Good jacket. First edition. Jacket in very good condition, though sunned and with a small chip on its front cover. Endpapers very lightly foxed. read more
Binding: Audiobook CD
Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, Inc.
Date Published: 7/1/2008
ISBN-13:9781433226700ISBN:1433226707
Description: New. 1433226707 Brand new audiobook shipped directly from manufacturer in original packaging. Packaged in a sturdy vinyl clamshell with CD's in soft sleeves for maximum protection. Satisfaction guaranteed. Prompt shipping with excellent customer service. read more
"This book is a joke in philosophical circles. Rand tries to make all her likes and dislikes in art and media "objectively good" by saying its life affirming in some way. She fails to establish this with an argument of any kind and while I agree in liking some of her art picks like the romantic era, which is my favorite era for paintings and classical music. I still think she fails to make these things objectively good across the board. Life affirming is a vague concept and Rand fails to establish her art and aesthetic choices as any more life affirming than anything else."
"This book by novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand, (author of "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead") is the definitive resource for understanding and analyzing all art forms: literature, painting, sculpture, film, and all the performing arts. These principles form the esthetic branch of Rand's philosophy of Objectivism, and are desperately needed in today's art world where the arbitrary is the law, not objective value. This book can teach anyone the esthetic vocabulary to appreciate and take a critical view of what is and is not art, and to understand that art is not simply a diversion, but a crucial need in one's life."
"With this one, Rand really jumped the shark for me.
I was willing to try her philosophical essays in The Virtue of Selfishness, and I read a couple of her novels as well. But, the zealous condemning of whole branches of art and literature, because it didn't fit with her idea of what art should do? Condemning Dostoyevski and embracing James Bond? Not that there's anything wrong with Ian Flemming, mind you . . .
To make it clear what I'm arguing AGAINST, let me tell you the thesis Rand is arguing in this one: Art should glorify mankind, and relish in his good qualities. It shouldn't attempt to make us empathetic towards those who aren't righteous, because the dregs of society aren't a worthy subject of literature.
If that's what she wants to read, I am fine with that. But I like the dregs! The dregs are so much more interesting! Because it is the imperfect characters that make us work as readers and as writers. Through meditating on imperfection, we are forced to confront our own. And, we are forced to be empathetic (at least a little bit) to characters like Humbert Humbert and Raskolnikov (however you spell his name). So, while we can all look up to that bitter, womanizing 007 for his pimpjuice and his manliness (they may be synonyms, but I'm not going to ask the O.E.D. or Nelly to find out), we can ALSO read about less idealized characters and be reminded that people are complex and most have a combination of good and bad in them.
In sum, I believe that different sorts of art speak to different sorts of people, and equally intelligent people can read for very different reasons. (I know, I know. I've made fun of Twilight in at least five book reviews. But, that's just because it's inconsistent, sappy and perverse . . damn! There I go again. What I meant to say is, it's all in good fun.) So, I think it is remarkably silly for anyone to spend a whole book arguing why one aesthetic sensibility is more valid or morally sound than another.
And tomorrow, I'm going to tell you why R Scott Bakker is the author you should be reading right now, why he is flagbearer for a renaissance in the genre of fantasy, and why those who aren't reading it right now are tools and morons."
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