Introducing Myself

[Nicholas Dykes]

INTRODUCING MYSELF

BY NICHOLAS DYKES

I enjoyed reading Don Grimme’s introduction of his ‘semi-Objectivist’ self, so, as another newcomer to Objectivist Living, and as another hemi-semi-demi Objectivist, I thought I might emulate him.

I was born in England in 1942. Looking back now over my life, it seems to have consisted of a series of seismic events – that is, periods of relative normality interrupted by violent shocks which sent me shooting off in new directions.

Seismic Shock #1 (SS1) was being sent to a Roman Catholic boarding school at the age of seven. Ten years later I was set free, but the experience of those years left me, though not immediately, with a great positive – the desire to find truth – and a great negative: an abiding hatred of religion in general and of Roman Catholicism in particular.

SS2 occurred in Montreal, in 1963. After some restless years in various jobs in the UK, I had emigrated to Canada. One Sunday morning, I picked a little book off a friend’s bookshelf. It was called Anthem, by Ayn Rand. I’d never heard of either. That afternoon, in a state of huge excitement, I read it again. Next day, I got Atlas Shrugged out of the public library. You can presumably guess the rest of that story.

SS3 came in Toronto in the winter of 1969-70. I was at a meeting of a little group called Radicals for Capitalism. I was discussing The Break with an academic called John Ridpath. I told him how shocked I had been by what I thought was Nathaniel Branden’s insinuation – in his response to “To whom it may Concern” – that Rand had wanted to pursue a romantic relationship with someone 25 years her junior. Ridpath assured me that I was wrong, there had been an affair. He, who had been a minor member of The Collective, then proceeded to provide me with sufficient detail to make his case entirely convincing.

I was shattered. I felt betrayed and misled by Rand. The idol had feet of clay. I let my subscription to the Ayn Rand Letter lapse (I didn’t like it much anyway) and started to read Nathaniel’s books. I found them immensely helpful. So much so that I produced an Intensive for him in Toronto in 1979.

SS4 happened in Vancouver in 1982 when I got dumped by a girl (whom I’d met at the Intensive). Horrible experience. I decided to go cool my heels back in England for a while. Met another girl. She didn’t want to live in Canada, and before long I had everything I thought I’d never have: a wife, two kids, a red brick semi and a mortgage.

SS5 was illness, in 1992. Incurable spinal problems. Had to retire from my profession as a freelance business writer. Brilliant wife took over the family finances as I lay in a series of hospital beds. Started a business of her own, and – hallelujah – turned out to be infinitely better at making money than I ever was. Huge success. Me, I went back to philosophy.

SS6 was another book I’d never heard of: The Enterprise of Law by Bruce Benson, lent to me by a friend in 1993. A whole new world of ideas opened up.

SS7 was a month spent at a superb pain clinic in Wales in 1996 where they taught me how to walk again and how to manage the pain I was stuck with. I wrote a poem about it, if anybody likes poetry. It’s published on Peter St Andre’s online Monadnock Review. It’s called “On Mynydd Troed.”

SS8 was the destruction of the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001. To me, at the time, it felt almost like the end of the world itself. I spent a week in hell, then decided to do something about it – an effort of my own to try and stop the madness. The end result is my book, Old Nick’s Guide to Happiness: A Philosophical Novel, published just a few days ago, on July 15 2008. Whether that turns out to be Seismic Shock # 9 remains to be seen.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Nick,

Welcome aboard! I see you managed quite nicely.

It is high honor to have you around here. I LOVE producers:

Old Nick's Guide to Happiness

Nicholas Dykes has recently joined OL. I am pleased to announce that he has written a novel.

It was just published today.

This looks awfully good.

More information to follow.

EDIT: Here's the copy from the back cover:

Jacques, an 18-year-old Anglo-French student, is plunged unwillingly into a life of mystery as the result of a hiking accident in a remote part of Scotland . Who is Nikolai, the taciturn foreigner with bright golden eyes? What on earth is he doing hidden away in such a God-forsaken place? Who is Catriona? What is she up to in her secret laboratory? What does Benevix mean? What do the letters BQLBV stand for? Instead of studying literature at Oxford University as planned, Jacques finds himself whirled away on a philosophical roller-coaster in which everything he thought he knew is first torn to shreds then gradually replaced by a dramatic new view of life. Adventures of the mind are intermingled with the forging of new friendships; with the ups and downs, and joys, of first love; and with physical predicaments so sudden and dangerous that Jacques is forced to draw on reserves of self-reliance and courage he didn’t know he had.

“This is a very good book indeed. A major accomplishment …. The plot and characters are engrossing. These are real people, not cardboard cutouts, not flawless robots, but people. There is adventure and danger as well as warm affection and gentle eroticism…. The manuscript abounds with lively descriptions that transport the reader to the locales....

“The philosophical dialogues are a most entertaining way to present such radical ideas… very persuasive. Positively splendid commentary on both Marx and Popper, absolutely on target!

“Personally, I found the book quite inspiring, it gave a little spring to my step. I thought to myself, ‘Damn, he's right, it can be done!’ The book really is triumphant in its tone and message.”

Larry J. Sechrest Ph.D, Professor of Economics, Sul Ross State University , Alpine, Texas

“Bravo! Quite delightful. Old Nick's Guide to Happiness is an engaging adventure on many levels: it captures the mind most of all, but weaves in suspense, diverse characters and humor as well. I enjoyed it immensely.”

Peter Saint André, Editor, Monadnock Review, Colorado

"without a doubt the best book I have read since Atlas Shrugged .... An excellent exploration of Objectivist/Libertarian philosophical themes... and so gripping a story, so well-written and easy to read."

Professor Ken Schoolland, Hawaii-Pacific University , author of the world-renowned economics fable,

The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible, currently available in 43 languages

A recent reaction to Old Nick's Guide to Happiness:

“a stunning achievement … so bursting with ideas it could spark a lively debate in a cemetery…. The opening is a grabber! All the action-adventure parts are very well done …. Nikolai …comes across as a real, larger-than-life character – he's the magister throughout … you have succeeded there. The alternation of the plot with the instruction seems very well paced…. It will be read, and read and read, I'm sure of it…. I admire it so much… well done, superbly done ….”

Carol Jane Stuart, teacher and sometime literary critic, Toronto , Canada

Nick asked me to provide the following statement from him:

"Anybody interested in further information about Old Nick's Guide to Happiness please contact Nicholas Dykes at lbp2008@ereal.net."

Michael

[Alfonso Jones]

Welcome, Nicholas!

You have joined a pretty friendly group here. Not that we're immune from squabbling, or that we never get into psychologizing to analyze the motivations and REAL MEANINGS of the postings of others. But I think you will find OL to overall be an extremely benevolent place.

Come on in, browse (there's lots of fascinating content in the old posts - check it out!) and post in areas of interest. It's always fun when someone posts on an interesting thread which has been dead for six months or longer and brings it back to our attention.

There are some seriously bright people here - I've been pleased at how much there is to learn.

Bill P (Alfonso)

Edited July 20, 2008 by Bill P

[Barbara Branden]

Welcome, Nicholas. I'm glad you decided to join us. I think you'll have a good time here, as I do. And while there may not be Seismic Shocks as intense and as life-altering as those you've described,, the ground under you may well tremble a time or two. Which is what life is all about, is it not?

Barbara

[Chris Grieb]

Nick; Welcome to OL.

I found your story interesting but surprising in one sense. John Ridpath is a total ARI supporter. He regularly lectures at ARI's summer conferences. He is in the Michael Paxton documentary as one of the commenter's. I find it surprising that he would tell you that Rand and Branden had an affair. My reason is that the people who were supporting Miss Rand all seemed to absolutely shocked at any suggestion that there had been an affair.

I must add that I am intriguing about your novel and as I said WELCOME.

[Alfonso Jones]

Nick; Welcome to OL.

I found your story interesting but surprising in one sense. John Ridpath is a total ARI supporter. He regularly lectures at ARI's summer conferences. He is in the Michael Paxton documentary as one of the commenter's. I find it surprising that he would tell you that Rand and Branden had an affair. My reason is that the people who were supporting Miss Rand all seemed to absolutely shocked at any suggestion that there had been an affair.

I must add that I am intriguing about your novel and as I said WELCOME.

Chris -

I think there may have been a difference between who were GENUINELY shocked at the suggestion, and people who deliberately faked total shock at the suggestion. (Was LP REALLY that clueless? Seriously!) I am surprised that Ridpath would have acknowledged it as early as 1969 - 1970, however. I'm not surprised to hear that he knew it.

Bill P (Alfonso)

[Chris Grieb]

Nick; Welcome to OL.

I found your story interesting but surprising in one sense. John Ridpath is a total ARI supporter. He regularly lectures at ARI's summer conferences. He is in the Michael Paxton documentary as one of the commenter's. I find it surprising that he would tell you that Rand and Branden had an affair. My reason is that the people who were supporting Miss Rand all seemed to absolutely shocked at any suggestion that there had been an affair.

I must add that I am intriguing about your novel and as I said WELCOME.

Chris -

I think there may have been a difference between who were GENUINELY shocked at the suggestion, and people who deliberately faked total shock at the suggestion. (Was LP REALLY that clueless? Seriously!) I am surprised that Ridpath would have acknowledged it as early as 1969 - 1970, however. I'm not surprised to hear that he knew it.

Bill P (Alfonso)

Bill P: The impression I was given in the DC area suggested genuine disbelief. I am not surprised at LP being clueless. I still at amazed that no one among the ARI folks expressed a little more shock about the disclosure.

[dongrimme]

I enjoyed reading Don Grimme’s introduction of his ‘semi-Objectivist’ self, so, as another newcomer to Objectivist Living, and as another hemi-semi-demi Objectivist, I thought I might emulate him.

...

The end result is my book, Old Nick’s Guide to Happiness: A Philosophical Novel, published just a few days ago, on July 15 2008.

Nick,

Thanks for the acknowledgment! Yours is an interesting and interestingly encapsulated life story.

I'm sure I'm not the only one here who wants to learn more about your novel. [Thanks to Michael for his post.] For example, how can I obtain it (in the U.S.)? At the moment, Amazon.com lists it as "Out of Print--Limited Availability." [My own book won't even be published until November, but Amazon is already accepting pre-orders.] The publisher is shown as "Lathe Biosas Publishing." <-- Are you self-published?

A hearty welcome to OL from a fellow newbie! And best wishes on continuing improved health and freedom from pain!

Don Grimme

[Paul Mawdsley]

Hi Nick. Welcome to OL.

A couple of life parallels that struck me reading your intro. I too was born in England and emigrated to Canada. I now live just outside Toronto. I went to York university where, in 1985, I took a course taught by John Ridpath, which introduced me to philosophy, Atlas Shrugged and Ayn Rand. After moving on from the negatives I experienced in Rand's style, I was greatly helped by Nathaniel Branden's work. (I like looking for "small-world" phenomena.)

Congratulations on your new book!

OL is a good place. I hope you enjoy it here.

Paul

Edited July 21, 2008 by Paul Mawdsley

[Nicholas Dykes]

Welcome, Nicholas!

You have joined a pretty friendly group here. Not that we're immune from squabbling, or that we never get into psychologizing to analyze the motivations and REAL MEANINGS of the postings of others. But I think you will find OL to overall be an extremely benevolent place.

Come on in, browse (there's lots of fascinating content in the old posts - check it out!) and post in areas of interest. It's always fun when someone posts on an interesting thread which has been dead for six months or longer and brings it back to our attention.

There are some seriously bright people here - I've been pleased at how much there is to learn.

Bill P (Alfonso)

[Nicholas Dykes]

Welcome, Nicholas!

You have joined a pretty friendly group here. Not that we're immune from squabbling, or that we never get into psychologizing to analyze the motivations and REAL MEANINGS of the postings of others. But I think you will find OL to overall be an extremely benevolent place.

Come on in, browse (there's lots of fascinating content in the old posts - check it out!) and post in areas of interest. It's always fun when someone posts on an interesting thread which has been dead for six months or longer and brings it back to our attention.

There are some seriously bright people here - I've been pleased at how much there is to learn.

Bill P (Alfonso)

[Nicholas Dykes]

I'm really lost here. This blank space has suddenly opened up after repeated proddings, so I'll write a reply.

I've been trying to say thank you to Barbara, Paul, Don and others who responded to my Seismic Shock and book posts, but haven't seemed able to do so. Perhaps it's because I live out in the boonies in England and our 19th century copper wire telephone system is slow to respond.

Anyhow, John Ridpath, when young, was a very forthright fellow who warmly recommended (horror of horrors) Murray Rothbard's Man, Economy and State -- and, if memory serves correctly -- said it was better than Human Action. I can see his face in front of me now as he told my shocked self about Rand's affair with NB. He seemed completely unfazed about it, as if it was common knowledge.

As I recall, I didn't really discuss the issue with anybody else at the time, I left TO shortly thereafter, but what Ridpath's revelation did do was free me to read NB's books. Those around at the time will recall that Rand had said, 'if you have anything to do with NB, don't have anything to do with me.' But once I knew she was just as prone as the rest of us to make mistakes I said to myself 'I'll read what I like, thank you very much' and that was that.

I might add that I had many opportunities to go to NBI before the Break, but the stories I heard from friends who'd been there about Rand's tantrums during Question Time made me stay away. I was sure I'd be the one who'd ask the 'dumb' question that would set her off! I don't really regret not going, even after all these years. I prefered then, and still prefer now, my unstated, unacknowledged, unrequited affection for the writer behind those marvellous books.

Buenas noches amigos y amigas, Nicholas

[Ellen Stuttle]

Greetings, "Old Nick" -- though I sort of cringe at the "old." I was born the same year you were, so I have a degree of trouble with the "old" description. ;-)

Deep sympathies for the health difficulties. As a chronic-pain sufferer myself -- and not from near so bad a problem as yours -- I know from experience that an endless fight with pain is hard to manage.

I hope you'll forgive several of us being startled by, and focusing on, a particular detail of your narrative, that of John Ridpath's telling you that NB and AR had had an affair.

I'm really lost here. This blank space has suddenly opened up after repeated proddings, so I'll write a Anyhow, John Ridpath, when young, was a very forthright fellow who warmly recommended (horror of horrors) Murray Rothbard's Man, Economy and State -- and, if memory serves correctly -- said it was better than Human Action. I can see his face in front of me now as he told my shocked self about Rand's affair with NB. He seemed completely unfazed about it, as if it was common knowledge.

This is so contrary to our experiences. I arrived in New York City just after the Break. Amongst Rand loyalists there, it was "worth your life" so much as to suggest there might have been an affair. I always thought there was; I'd suspected years before. But those in the loyalist camp wouldn't hear of it.

Even after he split with Ayn Rand himself, Allan Blumenthal, the one person in the Inner Circle besides the foursome who knew there had been an affair, wasn't saying he knew.

Thus I can't imagine how Ridpath could have actually known. What I wonder is if it was a case of his strongly suspecting and assuming. Or did he maybe hear Rothbard report an affair as fact -- although Rothbard couldn't have known? Rothbard wasn't discriminating about the difference between having evidence and pronouncing his fancifications (or in some cases fabrications) as fact.

The one person I met who was in the "Junior" circle who declared that there had been an affair was David Dawson. Upon my pushing Dave for details, however, I soon found that he had none which were definitive, that he was adding together suggestions in the written statements from which he came to a confident inference.

I know of one person who, some years later, met a Vassar acquaintance of David Kelley's who said that he, the acquaintance, had heard from David that there'd been an affair. But where David supposedly got this information wasn't recounted.

In net, I have to doubt that Ridpath had any firm evidence. If he did say anything really specific which you recall, I'd be quite interested to hear what it was.

Again, apologies for highlighting that particular detail of your story. It's just that it leaps out as surprising to others of us who were "around" back then.

Ellen

___

Edited July 21, 2008 by Ellen Stuttle

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Nick,

Sorry about the learning curve of the forum software. It can get painful and I have tried to simplify it.

Here is something on using the quote feature that should help. It is probably a bit boring and will take you 10-15 minutes of concentrated focus if it is, but if you do it, this will greatly simplify your forum life and give you freedom to quickly communicate on specific points of other posters. Click on the link below and it will open a new screen with instructions.

Inserting quotes from other posts

Also, another feature I know you will want to use is the search function.

Search

If you get these two skills down (and they are very easy to learn, despite the newness), you will be a semi-expert. Then you can move on to images and other things.

The real trick is to fiddle with them as you go along and make mistakes. I am a person who likes to understand everything about a new program or feature before I jump in and this holds me back. I fight this in myself. What's weird is that if you fiddle with something as you learn it, it is not boring. I know that and at times it seems I prefer to be bored.

(It's probably my Objectivism showing. I don't like to be wrong. )

Michael

[Chris Grieb]

Greetings, "Old Nick" -- though I sort of cringe at the "old." I was born the same year you were, so I have a degree of trouble with the "old" description. ;-)

Deep sympathies for the health difficulties. As a chronic-pain sufferer myself -- and not from near so bad a problem as yours -- I know from experience that an endless fight with pain is hard to manage.

I hope you'll forgive several of us being startled by, and focusing on, a particular detail of your narrative, that of John Ridpath's telling you that NB and AR had had an affair.

I'm really lost here. This blank space has suddenly opened up after repeated proddings, so I'll write a Anyhow, John Ridpath, when young, was a very forthright fellow who warmly recommended (horror of horrors) Murray Rothbard's Man, Economy and State -- and, if memory serves correctly -- said it was better than Human Action. I can see his face in front of me now as he told my shocked self about Rand's affair with NB. He seemed completely unfazed about it, as if it was common knowledge.

This is so contrary to our experiences. I arrived in New York City just after the Break. Amongst Rand loyalists there, it was "worth your life" so much as to suggest there might have been an affair. I always thought there was; I'd suspected years before. But those in the loyalist camp wouldn't hear of it.

Even after he split with Ayn Rand himself, Allan Blumenthal, the one person in the Inner Circle besides the foursome who knew there had been an affair, wasn't saying he knew.

Thus I can't imagine how Ridpath could have actually known. What I wonder is if it was a case of his strongly suspecting and assuming. Or did he maybe hear Rothbard report an affair as fact -- although Rothbard couldn't have known? Rothbard wasn't discriminating about the difference between having evidence and pronouncing his fancifications (or in some cases fabrications) as fact.

The one person I met who was in the "Junior" circle who declared that there had been an affair was David Dawson. Upon my pushing Dave for details, however, I soon found that he had none which were definitive, that he was adding together suggestions in the written statements from which he came to a confident inference.

I know of one person who, some years later, met a Vassar acquaintance of David Kelley's who said that he, the acquaintance, had heard from David that there'd been an affair. But where David supposedly got this information wasn't recounted.

In net, I have to doubt that Ridpath had any firm evidence. If he did say anything really specific which you recall, I'd be quite interested to hear what it was.

Again, apologies for highlighting that particular detail of your story. It's just that it leaps out as surprising to others of us who were "around" back then.

Ellen

___

Ellen;

You confirm many of the things I heard from DC people. I remember Rothbard also talking about the affair although I suspect he had learned of the affair from Roy Childs.

[Ellen Stuttle]

Ellen;

You confirm many of the things I heard from DC people. I remember Rothbard also talking about the affair although I suspect he had learned of the affair from Roy Childs.

You remember Rothbard talking about it when? Back in 1969-70? And how would Roy Childs have actually known about it, unless Nathaniel (and/or Barbara) directly confided in him?

Roy was big on coming to conclusions on the basis of insufficient evidence -- sometimes even getting conclusions badly wrong on the basis of misremembered evidence. Without precise chapter and verse, I would take Roy Childs' report of anything not documentable from other sources with a large salt shaker of salt. He wasn't a trustworthy source. And even if he might have stated as fact, with the aura of knowing it, something which happened to be true, this wouldn't necessarily mean that he indeed did have more than conjecture to go on.

Ellen

___

[Chris Grieb]

Ellen;

You confirm many of the things I heard from DC people. I remember Rothbard also talking about the affair although I suspect he had learned of the affair from Roy Childs.

You remember Rothbard talking about it when? Back in 1969-70? And how would Roy Childs have actually known about it, unless Nathaniel (and/or Barbara) directly confided in him?

Roy was big on coming to conclusions on the basis of insufficient evidence -- sometimes even getting conclusions badly wrong on the basis of misremembered evidence. Without precise chapter and verse, I would take Roy Childs' report of anything not documentable from other sources with a large salt shaker of salt. He wasn't a trustworthy source. And even if he might have stated as fact, with the aura of knowing it, something which happened to be true, this wouldn't necessarily mean that he indeed did have more than conjecture to go on.

Ellen

___

Ellen; It was in the early 70ths with Rothbard. Childs had read the inscriptions in some of the Rand books in their library and asked Nathaniel point blank if there had been an affair.

[Nicholas Dykes]

Hi Ellen,

Thanks for your sympathetic comment. But the pain clinic in Wales really did help enormously, and basically I've gotten so good at not thinking about the pain -- by focussing outside -- that it is nowhere near as dominating as it used to be.

Skip the 'old' that was just a reference to my book, Old Nick's Guide to Happiness.

As for John Ridpath -- and acknowledging the interesting comments made by others -- I can only repeat what John told me in 1969-70 (or perhaps it was the winter of 1970-71): that AR had had an affair with NB. John was absolutely blunt, even adamant: I can still see him standing in front of me. It was one of those moments you never forget. I was so shocked. I was still in my 20s and shockable. But it was the way he told the story, and the detail, which made it so convincing. It also explained NB's mysterious comment at the end of 'response to AR'. And of course it was all revealed in TPOAR in 1986, pretty much exactly the way John described it. ~How~ he knew, I've no idea. What I do know is that his revelation led me to buy NB's books. I've got them here with me as I write: The P. of S-E, Nash, LA, with 'Nicholas Dykes, Dec. 1970' written on the flyleaf (so perhaps it was 70-71); as well as Breaking Free and The Disowned Self, both from Nash, the latter dated as bought in 1972.

Anyhow, it's only a minor historical detail. Nothing was changed by it except my life! Thank you John! BTW, I've had no contact with him since, that's nearly 40 years. My oh my. Best, Nicholas

[Ellen Stuttle]

Nicholas,

I'm glad to hear that the pain clinic, and your learning how to deal with the pain problem, have been of such help.

I'm also glad to hear that I can skip the "old." ;-)

Thanks for the further details in regard to John Ridpath. I still wonder of course how he would have known, but maybe that's a point on which I'll just have to continue to wonder.

Anyhow, it's only a minor historical detail. Nothing was changed by it except my life!

I know about those life-changing sorts of incidents. In my case I might never have become involved with the New York City Objectivist world, and I'd say certainly not to the extent to which I became involved, if it hadn't been that I decided to eat lunch at a particular restaurant one day, and happened to overhear a conversation in which the term "sense of life" was being used, and proceeded to inquire if the person using the term was familiar with Ayn Rand...

She was, and she invited me to go with her to a meeting of a group called "The Stamford New Intellectuals" that coming Friday. It was the group's first meeting after The Split. This was in early December 1968. At the meeting I met one Laurence Ira Gould, along with others who were attending. And the rest is (a long, complicated) history. Sometimes a "minor" occurrence....

Ellen

___

[Chris Grieb]

Ellen; It's nice to know that at least one marriage came about after the Split. There were a great many others that came to an end.

[Ellen Stuttle]

Ellen; It's nice to know that at least one marriage came about after the Split. There were a great many others that came to an end.

The marriage came about numerous years -- almost 27 -- after The Split. We were in a "significant other" relationship within less than a month of our meeting, but it was a long while before we got married. Larry had an image of marriage as "non-romantic," and I didn't give him any hassles over that. I was flabbergasted when he proposed -- during the summer of 1994 -- that we formally marry. We formally married in 1995.

Ellen

___

[Chris Grieb]

Ellen; I guess you've found marriage romantic?

This is question for those OL readers around during and after the SPLIT. Do you know of any loyalty oaths? The only one I know of was the DC Ayn Rand Society. Within a month it was announced the organization came to an end.

Edited July 23, 2008 by Chris Grieb

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Nick is very proud of praise he received from John Hospers for his book and it was posted on the book thread in the library, but it bears repeating here.

I am very, very pleased for Nick.

Michael

JOHN HOSPERS PRAISES ~OLD NICK’S GUIDE TO HAPPINESS~

I am delighted to announce that Dr John Hospers, the first Presidential Candidate of the United States Libertarian Party, and author of Libertarianism, the first scholarly study of the modern American Libertarian movement, has warmly praised my new philosophical novel, Old Nick’s Guide to Happiness. Furthermore, he has allowed me to quote freely from his letters and to use them for publicity. I have never felt so honoured and grateful.

Naturally, Dr Hospers, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, one-time friend of Ayn Rand, and author of many well-known books on philosophy – such as Human Conduct and Introduction to Philosophical Analysis – had some criticisms and disagreements. But I think it’s better to let readers figure out for themselves what those might be. Besides, I’d hardly be human if I didn’t choose to focus rather on what Dr Hospers has said in praise:

“Dear Mr Dykes, I LOVE your book …. When I first opened it, little did I know that it would be a long paean to the strength and power of Ayn Rand's ideas. Like her masterpiece Atlas Shrugged, it is a mystery novel in which the solution to the mystery depends on the reader's grasp of philosophical concepts. I know of no other book which evokes the same qualities of excitement and conviction….

“I enjoyed every bit of the reading. When Ayn Rand asked me early in our acquaintance that I liked most about Atlas, I replied, ‘the suspense. It is a wonderful mystery novel, and you don't know the conclusion to the mystery until you read it’….

“Your qualities of narration closely parallel those in Atlas, and kept me absorbed throughout…. Like Rearden in Atlas, Jac was the most vividly depicted character, and Nikolai the most philosophically satisfying (rather like Galt, except that Galt was more a symbol than a living human being ….)

“Our disagreements are fewer than you might imagine, and meanwhile your novel was such an enjoyable experience, I took several days away from other activities just to complete it. But it was well worth it – and as I page through it again, the incidents spring back into my mind with renewed vividness….

“Your book was a very pleasant surprise. It probably does more justice to Ayn Rand's actual views than any other book I am acquainted with…. For that, and for being an enthralling philosophical mystery story much along the lines of Atlas Shrugged, I would give it my highest recommendation.”

Talk about being over the moon! Heel hartelijk bedankt, John!

For further information about the book, reactions from other readers, and how to purchase it, visit my new website: http://www.oldnicksguidetohappiness.co.uk

The site is not yet accessible through Google, they like to check people out. So you have to click on the link above. If that doesn’t work, email me at lbp2008@ereal.net and I’ll send you an email link you can click on.

For the record, Paypal is now fully activated. And I know it works – I just had a Paypal order from New Jersey. So don’t nobody say a bad word about Joizey!

Nicholas Dykes