Ayn Rand (February 2, 1905 – March 6, 1982), American author born in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her original name was Alisa Rosenbaum, she was a bookish child who loved stories and started writing her own when still quite young.

Later, as a widely read (if not critically acclaimed) author, she became known for ponderous novels like The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, which were based on the philosophical tenets of Objectivism, which she developed.

In her novels, it was the defining characteristic of her leading men —Howard Roark in The Fountainhead and John Galt in Atlas Shrugged. Her philosophy, as she defined it was, “The concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.” Read More→