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Book club fight over 'Atlas Shrugged' still haunts me
Three years ago at the downtown library, a guy named Mark spent 20 minutes arguing that Rand was a genius. I said the book was too long and preachy. He stormed out. Has anyone else had a book debate ruin a friendship?
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ryan_gibson8414d ago
Rand was definitely a genius, that book just went over your head.
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finleyh8914d ago
Oh boy, here we go again with the whole "genius" label. I actually heard a fascinating interview with an economist once who pointed out that Rand's ideas about selfishness being a virtue were taken way too literally by people who missed the philosophical context. She wasn't just saying "be greedy" but that rational self-interest should guide moral choices. But the problem is, her characters are so idealized they don't really work as real human examples. I've read "Atlas Shrugged" twice and honestly, the plot is interesting but the speeches go on forever. It's not that it went over anyone's head, it's that reasonable people can disagree with her premises without being called stupid.
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