The Life and Impact of Ayn Rand October 28, 2009

Host: The Cato Institute. Two major new books on Ayn Rand testify to the continuing impact of America’s most influential novelist of ideas. Sales of Rand’s books have been impressive for 66 years—more than 25 million—and have recently surged, perhaps in response to the dramatic increase in government intrusion into the free market. Rand remains a major influence on both libertarian and conservative communities, and these two new studies illustrate the growing scholarly interest in her impact. Jennifer Burns, a professor of history at the University of Virginia, looks at the development of Rand’s ideas and her alliances—and clashes—with other intellectual and political figures. New York writer Anne Heller draws on original research in Russia, dozens of interviews with Rand’s relatives and acquaintances, and previously unexamined archives to develop the first complete and independent biography. Please join us for a forum and book signing.