⇒ Read Free The Fountainhead Ayn Rand Leonard Peikoff 9780451191151 Books

The Fountainhead Ayn Rand Leonard Peikoff 9780451191151 Books

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The Fountainhead Ayn Rand Leonard Peikoff 9780451191151 Books

First read this in college (40+ years ago) and found it an amazing read. Makes a strong statement on individualism, integrity, and principaled living. May lead you to new insights on livinging free and uncompromised. Downloaded it again to read it and remind myself what a real "superman" is. If you like to run with the herd you might not like it. On the other hand it may remind you why it is intellectual death to submit to society's ever changing principals and mores. A must read for all independent thinkers


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The Fountainhead Ayn Rand Leonard Peikoff 9780451191151 Books Reviews

This book reads like a novel, but it was intended to be more than that--to present an idea in an engaging way. When I rate the characters as "one-dimensional," that is not a negative. This was done deliberately by the author because each character is an archetype of something. I love this book. I read in my youth and I've re-read it recently. A lot happened after Rand wrote this book. She wrote more on the philosophical front and became quite well known, if not recognized. I won't get into that here. I enjoy this book for what it is. My life was made richer by it, and it will always remain one of my favorite reads of all time.
There are writers. And then there’s Ayn Rand.

Ayn Rand was a very unique individual; an individual that isn’t afraid to stand by her convictions, no matter what anyone said. That’s what made her so beloved and hated. Even more so, that’s why people were so bifurcated about her books.

Knowing that, then it isn’t shocking to realize that The Fountainhead was written with her very own ideals embedded within every page, within every character, within every thought. In that sense, she is rather unique because not only did she create an amazing story, as many authors have, but she went a step beyond and used the book with the essence of her philosophy, which was, and will always be, a truly daring endeavor for any writer.

The Fountainhead has been described in many ways, but at its core it is about The Individual vs. The Collective; about Freedom vs. Conformity.

With characters that are gripping, settings that are par excellence, and dialogue that displays incredible depth, the book is a well rounded synthesis about the nature of individualism and what it means to be human.

The leading characters all flow through their roles seamlessly, and whether you love them or hate them, you can feel the realism in them, even if at times they are the epitome of Rand’s ideal.

Anyone who values individuality will value this book. Those that seek to conform will undoubtedly hate it. That’s the nature of the beast, and always will be. What Rand did though, perhaps better than anyone else, is show both sides of the coin – Individualism vs. Conformity – in a manner that nobody else had brought about through fiction. This is why the book is so engaging, because you hate the villains as much as you love the characters you gravitate towards. It is rare when a book has you personally invested in nigh every character failing or succeeding, but this book accomplishes that in spades.

Ayn Ran went to war for the Individual against The Collective in a torrential manner in a way almost nobody does. Through her characters, Rand did a salient job of showing the wide range of latitudes within human nature. All of this was, of course, was to highlight the importance of Individualism.

As Rand herself elucidates in the following passages, the last of the three which is in her own words, the prior two through her characters

“Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps down new roads armed with nothing but their vision. Their goals differed, but they all had this in common that the step was first, the road new, their vision unborrowed, and the response they received – hatred. The great creators – the thinkers, the artists, the scientists, the inventors – stood alone against the men of their time. Every great new thought was opposed. Every great ne invention was denounced. The first motor was considered foolish. The airplane was considered impossible. The power loom was considered vicious. Anesthesia was considered sinful. But the men of unborrowed vision went ahead. They fought, they suffered and they paid. But they won.”[1]

“From this simplest necessity to the highest religious abstraction, from the wheel to the skyscraper, everything we are and everything we have comes from a single attribute of man – the function of his reasoning mind.”[2]

“And for the benefit of those who consider relevance to one’s own time as of crucial importance, I will add, in regard to our age, that never has there been a time when men have so desperately needed a projection of things as they ought to be.”[3]

Rand stated those words decades ago, and they apply even more so now. Given that humanity keeps snowballing down a hill in a world where morality, common sense and virtues keep getting swept under the rug, such statements and their ramifications should be pondered at length.

Whether you love the book or you hate it, it will give you much to ponder about, especially if you value Freedom and Individuality in any way shape or form.

__________________________________________________________
Sources

[1] Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead, p. 710.
[2] Ibid., p. 711.
[3] Ibid., p. vii. Written in the Author’s Introduction to the 1968 Edition.
Startling, in that this work, combined with Atlas Shrugged, shines a beacon on the life of men in such a way that causes a sincere and thorough examination of that which drives me, in my search for excellence and productivity as a man. I had not previously been presented with such a reasonable and clearly spoken verbal picture of the choice all men must make, every day of their lives, often many times a day, between the parasitic versus the creative mindset, and the resulting actions that naturally follow that demonstrate the truth of the decisions we make in each moment. My chosen daily occupation as a builder grants me endless opportunity to make these choices and observe the results of each one, in the viewing of the finished product I have created, and the reception of it by those who are to use what I've built. I can say, resoundingly and without hesitation, that the ideology Ayn Rand has elucidated upon in Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged are without doubt the recipe to living a hero's life of accomplishment and confident honesty. Her description of the tactics and motives of the parasite class connected lots of dots for me that I had previously wondered about (what's wrong with that guy that he would allow himself to build such wretched garbage? What's wrong with the telecom company that it uses intentionally dishonest marketing tactics to squeeze a few extra cents a month from their customers? How can "government officials" wink and turn a blind eye on horrifyingly immoral conduct by huge lending institutions who make it their policy to use predatory and openly fraudulent methods to confiscate property that the owners of depend upon for their shelter and livelihood?) but hadn't taken the time and energy to seriously research and think through. My gratitude to Ayn Rand for helping me along the path to the beginnings of wisdom, and a clearer path forward as a creative force on the planet called earth.
First read this in college (40+ years ago) and found it an amazing read. Makes a strong statement on individualism, integrity, and principaled living. May lead you to new insights on livinging free and uncompromised. Downloaded it again to read it and remind myself what a real "superman" is. If you like to run with the herd you might not like it. On the other hand it may remind you why it is intellectual death to submit to society's ever changing principals and mores. A must read for all independent thinkers