So... I really like Ayn Rand. It's a not-so-secret thing, but its surprising because I consider myself to be more on the leftist liberal side of things. I think she is an interesting thinker because some of her work is pretty unique. Disclaimer: totally not into the super conservative tomes. nope. I just really enjoyed the characters and the issues and the dark twisted-ness of the Fountainhead and some parts of Atlas Shrugged.
Mostly, I'm interested in the questions about integrity that she mentions. It was a long time interest of mine, made only better by the recent work I've been doing with the fascinating and very clever Tiffany Ho (I mean, who doesnt love it. I have an excuse to read a lot of people's work on what leadership means now, what ideal leaders look like and do... and them come up with my own theories. It's a seriously nerdy use of my time. Which makes it perfect.). I think I've always been drawn to books with very strong characters who know who they are, what they value, and what they want to do with their lives. I relate to that much better than things like Catcher in the Rye, which, for those of you know have known me for a long time maybe remember this, drove me absolutely insane. It was the epitome of the sad whiney rich kid wasting what he had. Fountainhead has unforgiving and, frankly, crazy characters, but they knew what they needed to do and didnt compromise themselves in the process. Cheers to that, who doesnt want to see more of these people in the world?
Unfortunately... a rather close friend of mine just finished Atlas Shrugged and drank the kool-aid. I'm putting together a leftist and moderate reading list for him before he forgets where he came from.
When I explained it to my parents as being a problem, they only completely understood me when I added this rather extreme statement:
If we dont crush the desire to hurt other people out of them at this age, when will we be able to do it?
Help me? Send me any ideas you have, though I definitely have a few of my own. I have some Saul Alinsky in here, a few awesome short memoirs from community organizers, "The New Jim Crow," a few articles on Arizona's SB1070 tragedies, accounts of Texas loop-holes for essentially indentured servant undocumented farm workers... So maybe I need some more moderate stuff. Ideas? Anything?
This was another one of those moments where I realized that Ayn Rand would hate me. Oh well.
Thanks guys!
Mostly, I'm interested in the questions about integrity that she mentions. It was a long time interest of mine, made only better by the recent work I've been doing with the fascinating and very clever Tiffany Ho (I mean, who doesnt love it. I have an excuse to read a lot of people's work on what leadership means now, what ideal leaders look like and do... and them come up with my own theories. It's a seriously nerdy use of my time. Which makes it perfect.). I think I've always been drawn to books with very strong characters who know who they are, what they value, and what they want to do with their lives. I relate to that much better than things like Catcher in the Rye, which, for those of you know have known me for a long time maybe remember this, drove me absolutely insane. It was the epitome of the sad whiney rich kid wasting what he had. Fountainhead has unforgiving and, frankly, crazy characters, but they knew what they needed to do and didnt compromise themselves in the process. Cheers to that, who doesnt want to see more of these people in the world?
Unfortunately... a rather close friend of mine just finished Atlas Shrugged and drank the kool-aid. I'm putting together a leftist and moderate reading list for him before he forgets where he came from.
When I explained it to my parents as being a problem, they only completely understood me when I added this rather extreme statement:
If we dont crush the desire to hurt other people out of them at this age, when will we be able to do it?
Help me? Send me any ideas you have, though I definitely have a few of my own. I have some Saul Alinsky in here, a few awesome short memoirs from community organizers, "The New Jim Crow," a few articles on Arizona's SB1070 tragedies, accounts of Texas loop-holes for essentially indentured servant undocumented farm workers... So maybe I need some more moderate stuff. Ideas? Anything?
This was another one of those moments where I realized that Ayn Rand would hate me. Oh well.
Thanks guys!
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