The Age of Selfishness: Ayn Rand, Morality, and the Financial Crisis

I liked the division in 3 parts: a (very) brief biography of Ayn Rand, the advance of her philosophy leading to social decay and the crash of 2008, and where we are now. That's a lot of territory to cover, so I don't quite understand the criticism that it treats the topics lightly. It is a sketch, and provides a good starting point for readers to explore the sub-topics in more depth through other books. I wasn't super-thrilled by the artwork, but as with any graphic novel you get used to it by the end of the book.Just one tiny quibble. The author mentions a rise in violent crime during a period of social decay. And that in recent years, violent crime has fallen. It is true that there are many reasons for these trends, but one left out of the book is the tracking of violent crime rates and the reduction thereof, to the banning of lead in fuels and coatings. Anyone interested can look up the research as it is now quite well-known. Perhaps the author would consider mentioning it in a future version of the book.

If you believe the author's premise, this book explains a lot about current events in the United States. I found the graphic format appealing, and actually useful in depicting points about selfishness. The first two section of the book are better than the third section, which stretches credibility. I enjoyed discussing this book with others, and will probably recommend it to my book club. I read Ayn Rand's novels as a teenager, when her extreme views did not seem as heartless. As I've gained experience in the world the flaws in her logic become glaring. Who knew that others would find reason to embrace that same logic as the basis for their moral views? If you've wondered about the 2008 financial meltdown or the success of Donald Trump, this book is a must read.

This artful and erudite graphic novel is a clear and thorough indictment of neoliberalism and Rand's objectivism in general. You'll probably get more out of it you've read a bit of Rand's works and (like me) ultimately felt queasy and appalled by her ideas, but it's certainly not necessary. It's also a ripping comic, with effective minimalist art. Highly recommended.

Very well-done, clear and concise explanation of the financial catastrophe that culminated with the economic meltdown of 2008, and its roots in Rand's philosophy of Objectivism - which is (very simplistically) a belief in hands-off capitalism and individual rights at the expense of all else, and everyone else. Alan Greenspan was a disciple, and so are the Tea Partiers, the Libertarians, and the right-wing conservatives, which makes the current fad for promoting personal gain at the expense of everyone who isn't rich and powerful suddenly make a lot more sense. The artwork in this graphic novel is deceptively simple and very powerful, and after reading it I actually understand what happened and how it happened when the financial markets collapsed.

Paints the complexities of our world: how philosophy affects politics, the economy and the social system. Graphic novel format makes it more accessible to people who would not otherwise read political commentary.

Before you go all Ayn Rand crazy and read all of her books as guides to life....I highly recommend reading this fascinating biography in graphic novel form. Some people ask isn't that a fancy word for a comic book? Well, yes and no. Graphic novels have come a long way since the days or Archie comics. Many pieces of classic literature are being published in graphic form and reaching an entire group of reluctant readers who are reluctant for any number of reasons (dyslexia, forced to read when younger, etc.). But don't let the graphic form of this book fool you, the content is terrific and follows the true path of Rand's life. I'll leave it to you to make your own determination about Rand.

The book provides everything you need to know about Ayn Rand without reading an in-depth biography.

I am a big fan of the "graphic nonfiction" genre, and this is a very worthwhile example of it. I would give the first two of its three parts a five-star rating, but the weaker third part lowered the overall rating to four stars. Part One, "Ayn Rand," is biographical. Although the author didn't go out of his way to demonize Rand, he didn't have to. A straightforward account of her life reveals her to have been a thoroughly miserable—in two senses of the word—human being. She was miserable in her own skin and did her utmost (via her philosophy) to spread misery to the rest of the human race. That purpose was disguised in familiar Social Darwinist garb: As an extreme elitist who believed she was far superior to almost everyone else, she promoted the idea that human progress would best be served by allowing the less talented masses to perish. The second part, entitled "The Crash," examines Rand's ultra-free-market ideology in the context of the American and world economy of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Part Three, "The Age of Selfishness," seemed to me to be an attempt to "contextualize" Rand's views and their influence on such policy-makers as Alan Greenspan and Paul Ryan. I got the sense that the author felt the need to provide some "balance" in order to ward off attacks from Randian true believers, but it struck me as gratuitous.

I enjoyed reading this.The biography of Any Rand and the explanation of the crash were engaging and well done. I now feel I understand more. In the concluding bit I thought it got a little preachy, but those bits are easily skipped over.

Well presented and imformative

Buen cómic para desmontar la cagarruta ideológica de Ayn Rand y eldogmatismo económico contemporáneo. Una pena que no esté en español.

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Super book - great way to depict a somewhat complex series of topics.