Chris Sciabarra writes:

New Book: Ayn Rand at 100

In my post "This and That," I referred to a forthcoming anthology edited by Edward W. Younkins entitled Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged: A Philosophical and Literary Companion, which will be published next year by Ashgate. An essay I've written, entitled "Atlas Shrugged: Manifesto for a New Radicalism," appears in that volume. It is actually a much longer and more comprehensive version of an essay that appeared in the January-February 2005 issue of The Freeman. A PDF version of the shorter Freeman article can be found here.

The Freeman essay also makes an appearance in a new collection, edited by my friend and colleague, Tibor R. Machan, entitled Ayn Rand at 100 (okay, okay, it's a little late). The book makes its debut on Wednesday, August 16, 2006. And it is being published by the Liberty Institute in India!!! In fact, Tibor will be giving several talks next week to launch the book in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai.

The book synopsis states: "Eminent authors discuss the impact [Ayn Rand] has had on their contribution to philosophy and, most importantly, Rand’s Indian connection." Here is the Table of Contents:

Preface : Tibor R. Machan: Ayn Rand at 100
Chapter 1: Bibek Debroy: Ayn Rand -­ The Indian Connection
Chapter 2: Tibor R. Machan: Rand and Her Significant Contributions
Chapter 3: J. E. Chesher: Ayn Rand’s Contribution to Moral Philosophy
Chapter 4: George Reisman: Ayn Rand and Ludwig von Mises
Chapter 5: Robert White: Ayn Rand’s Contribution to Liberal Thought
Chapter 6: Roderick T. Long: Ayn Rand and Indian Philosophy
Chapter 7: Chris Matthew Sciabarra: Ayn Rand - A Centennial Appreciation
Chapter 8: Fred Seddon: Ayn Rand - An Appreciation
Chapter 9: Elaine Sternberg: Why Ayn Rand Matters: Metaphysics, Morals, and Liberty
Chapter 10: Douglas Den Uyl : Rand's First Great Hit, The Fountainhead

I've not read all of the other essays in the collection, but I suspect it's going to be a fine anthology.

Speaking of the Younkins book, the following information is posted at:

Ashgate

Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged
A Philosophical and Literary Companion
Edward W. Younkins

$24.95/£13.50

Since its publication in 1957 Atlas Shrugged, the philosophical and artistic climax of Ayn Rand's novels, has never been out of print and has received enormous critical attention becoming one of the most influential books ever published, impacting on a variety of disciplines including philosophy, literature, economics, business, and political science among others.

More than a great novel, Atlas Shrugged is an abstract conceptual, and symbolic work that expounds a radical philosophy, presenting a view of man and man's relationship to existence and manifesting the essentials of an entire philosophical system - metaphysics, epistemology, politics and ethics.

Celebrating the fiftieth year of Atlas Shrugged's publication, this companion is an exploration of this monumental work of literature. Contributions have been specially commissioned from a diversity of eminent scholars who admire and have been influenced by the book, the included essays analyzing the novel's integrating elements of theme, plot and characterization from many perspectives and from various levels of meaning.

Contents

Preface

Introduction.

Part 1 An Overview:

Atlas Shrugged: Ayn Rand's philosophical and literary masterpiece, Edward W. Younkins

Atlas Shrugged: manifesto for a new radicalism, Chris Matthew Sciabarra

The Aristotelian significance of the section titles of Atlas Shrugged, Douglas B. Rasmussen

Various levels of meaning in the chapter titles of Atlas Shrugged, Fred Seddon

Some structural aspects of Atlas Shrugged, Lester H. Hunt

Table of contents for Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, Hans Gregory Schantz

Part 2 Philosophy:

Atlas Shrugged's moral principle of the sanction of the victim, Tibor R. Machan

Forced to rule: Atlas Shrugged as a response to Plato's Republic, Roderick T. Long

The role and essence of John Galt's speech in Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, G. Stolyarov II

Galt's Gulch as a paradigm of Aristotle's Eudaimonia, Michelle Fram Cohen

Part 3 Literary Aspects:

Ayn Rand's cinematic eye, Mimi Reisel Gladstein

Atlas Shrugged as a science fiction novel, Jeff Riggenbach

Ayn Rand's recasting of ancient myths in Atlas Shrugged, Kirsti Minsaas

Part 4 Aesthetics:

Atlas and art, Ronald F. Lipp

My music: why it's romantic, and why I write it that way, Roger E. Bissell ***

Fuel for the soul, Russell Madden

Part 5 Political Economy:

The economics of Atlas Shrugged, Peter J. Boettke

Atlas, Ayn and anarchy: A is A is A, Larry J. Sechrest

The businessman and Ayn Rand: Galt's Gulch in real time, Spencer Heath MacCallum

Ayn Rand's Atlantis as a free market economy, Sam Bostaph

Atlas Shrugged and public choice: the obvious parallels, Bryan Caplan

Francisco d'Anconia on money: a socio-economic analysis, Steven Horwitz

Atlas Shrugged's case for human productivity, Jack Criss

Part 6 Human Relationships:

Dagny and me, Karen Michalson

Atlas Shrugged: the dream of every woman, Joy Bushnell

Friendship in Atlas Shrugged, Peter Saint-Andre

Romantic love in Atlas Shrugged, Jennifer L. Iannolo

Beyond the 'stillborn aspiration': virtuous sexuality in Atlas Shrugged, Susan Love Brown

Part 7 Characterization:

The price of passivity: Hank Rearden's mind-body dichotomy, Virginia Murr

Hugh Akston, the role of teaching, and the lessons of Atlas Shrugged, Ken Schoolland and Stuart K. Hayashi

When the train left the station, with two lights on behind: the Eddie Willers story, Robert Campbell

In the beginning was the thought: the story of the wet nurse, Jomana Krupinski

The destruction from the nihilism train: the Cherryl Brooks story, Jennifer J. Rhodes

The Robert Stadler story: the moral fall of a man who knew better, Edward W. Younkins

Part 8 History:

Atlas and 'the Bible': Rand's debt to Isabel Paterson, Stephen Cox

A note on Rand's Americanism, Douglas J. Den Uyl

The non fictional Robert Stadlers: traitors to liberty, Walter Block

Atlas Shrugging throughout history and modern life, Stuart K. Hayashi

Index.

Reviews

"Ayn Rand’s complex philosophical novel, Atlas Shrugged, is hugely popular, yet intimidating or confusing to some people. By assembling this impressive collection, Edward Younkins has done something wonderful for both those who enjoyed the novel and those yet to discover it. Younkins and his collaborators examine many different facets of the novel, from the perspectives of a variety of different disciplines: literature, philosophy, economics, politics, history. This is sure to be a thought-provoking and conversation-stimulating anthology." Aeon J. Skoble, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Bridgewater State University

"Edward Younkins appreciates the significance of Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged to so many disciplines and thus he has assembled an impressive collection of essays by distinguished experts in many fields to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Rand’s monumental work. Younkins understands the unique nature of "Atlas"; it is a great work of romantic literature, its plot shows in the concrete the importance of economic liberty and a morality of rational self-interest, it outlines an integrated philosophy -- Objectivism -- by which to guide one’s life, and it offers a vision of the kind of life and world that this philosophy can produce. This collection is a welcomed volume for the millions who love Rand’s magnum opus." Edward Hudgins, Executive Director, The Atlas Society & the Objectivist Center

"Atlas Shrugged is a thrilling and, in my view, nearly indispensable part of courses on economics and government. Dr. Younkins’s insightful collection of essays by experts in many fields will prove immensely valuable to teachers and students who use Atlas and to any reader who seeks deeper understanding of Ayn Rand’s marvellous novel." John B. Egger, Professor of Economics, Towson State University

"A collection of this type is long overdue. Edward Younkins has exhibited an impressive vision in assembling this extraordinary book just in time for the 50th anniversary of Ayn Rand’s masterpiece." Lew Rockwell, President, Ludwig von Mises Institute

"Atlas Shrugged has been called the most important novel of ideas since War and Peace. Now, more than 20 years after Ayn Rand’s death, she and her great book are beginning to get the scholarly attention they deserve. This Companion is a fine example of that." David Boaz, Executive Vice President, Cato Institute

About the Author/Editor

Edward Younkins is one of the leading scholars on the works of Ayn Rand in the world. He is the author of Capitalism and Commerce and Philosophers of Capitalism: Menger, Mises, Rand and Beyond.

Further Information

Affiliation: Edward W. Younkins, Wheeling Jesuit University, USA
ISBN: 0 7546 5549 0
Publication Date: 05/2007
Number of Pages: c. 416 pages
Binding: Paperback
Binding Options: Available in Hardback and Paperback
Book Size: 234 x 156 mm
British Library Reference: 813.5'2
Library of Congress Reference: 2006018030

*** The full title of my contribution to the book is " 'My Music: Why It’s Romantic, and Why I Write It That Way', a Hugh Akston Memorial lecture by Dr. Richard Halley, composer-in-residence and professor emeritus of music theory and aesthetics, Patrick Henry University, Cleveland, Ohio, September 2, 2000, as transcribed from the audio taped lecture." For obvious reasons, the title was abbreviated, unfortunately giving the impression that my piece is about why my (Roger Bissell's) music is Romantic and why I (Roger Bissell) write it that way. Nothing could be further from the truth. ;-)

Both books sound very impressive. I happy to hear that the books on Atlas are not just coming from ARI. I'm also delighted to hear that a book on Atlas is being published in India.