A Different Take on Atlas Shrugged

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Here is a different take on Atlas Shrugged. Although it is different than what we normally read (both pro and con), it is probably the most normal one of the lot in terms of Rand's impact.

Ten Books That Changed My Life #2: Atlas Shrugged by Trent Hamm

I came across this little gem as I was studying finance and self-help for a project I am writing. Trent Hamm runs a website called "The Simple Dollar - financial talk for the rest of us." This guy is an uncommonly honest and perceptive personal finance commentator and book reviewer. I think his site is one of the best out there for the layperson. His many reviews of wealth and finance books are valuable just for the outlines, but he usually has some extremely perceptive and commonsense comments to go along with them. Often, he will mention which parts of the book affected his life. My favorite is his take on Suze Orman. Her demeanor irritates the dickens out of him (he even had a nightmare about her), but he finds her advice extremely sound. Cute...

Hamm's values and ambition are modest, not grandiose, and he makes no apology for them. They are his and that's that. I find this fascinating. Most of us are that way inside about many things (with notable exceptions), but we keep up some kind of hifalutin facade to the world and to ourselves. We are expected to and we are taught that this or that is a good thing to be desired, so we try to desire everything with the same standard. We often swallow that attitude without examination and it is absolutely refreshing to see a person come out and just be himself. I personally have much larger goals in general than Hamm, but I recognize a first-hand mind when I see it. Hamm is definitely a first-hand soul. He is my kind of people.

It is quite unusual for someone like him to admit the importance Rand had on his thinking and it is even more unusual to get a small article on why. Yet, I believe his views reflect a sizable portion of the majority of Rand's readers and it is instructive to look at his thoughts. Hamm will never become an Objectivist—he is the Common Man at his best, but Rand occupies the No. 2 spot on his list. (Incidentally, the Bible is not on it.) Here is an abbreviated list of how Atlas Shrugged changed his life. The article expands on the bullet-like presentation and it is a really good short read.

How did Atlas Shrugged affect the person I became?

I started to question the fundamental structure of society, government, and economics.

. . .

I began to appreciate the power of the individual.

. . .

I began to be disillusioned by celebrity.

. . .

I realized that it was up to me and me alone to make a success out of my life.

Not once in the article did Hamm mention faith or reason—or even selfishness. His list of 10 books is indicative of what kind of person he is. Here it is in order:

01. Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

02. Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

03. Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis

04. Titan - Ron Chernow

05. Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison

06. Joy of Cooking - Irma Rombauer

07. The Conscience of a Conservative - Barry Goldwater

08. How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie

09. Getting Things Done - David Allen

10. Your Money or Your Life - Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin

What an interesting list! It is even more interesting because Hamm's website is devoted to personal finance and there is only one finance book proper on the list—and that book is in last place.

If you want to see what Ayn Rand really means to a normal honest person of goodwill, I highly recommend reading Hamm's short review. That should give those who are interested in spreading her ideas some clues about what already works by itself and what needs work presentation-wise.

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Michael; Thanks for the link.

It is interesting that Ann Heller got interested in Ayn Rand while working for Susie Orman.

I must add that I like C S Lewis and read Conscience of A Conservative. If you look at my OL blog(shameless plug) I talk about the Goldwater campaign leading me to Objectivism.

I'm going to look at this writer's blog more often.

Edited November 28, 2007 by Chris Grieb