My Next Book — AYN RAND NATION

My next book is something of a departure for me. It's not about scams or crooks or finance. It's about the hidden struggle for America's soul.

That's the subtitle of AYN RAND NATION, which will be published by St. Martin's Press on February 28, 2012.

AYN RAND NATION will explore the pervasive influence of the Russian-born author of Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. She has long been dismissed by the intelligentsia as a fringe character. Don't you believe it.

Her ideology, Objectivism, has been adopted in large measure by a wide swath of America's opinion leaders, and to a large extent by virtually all of the Republican presidential candidates.

Rand provides the ideological underpinnings for the effort to cut or destroy Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and to drastically shrink the role of government.

She wrote the recipe for deregulation.

Love her or despise her, Rand is a pervasive influence in the national dialogue. To understand the ideological basis for that dialogue, and to comprehend the mindset that led to the 2008 financial crisis, it's essential to understand Ayn Rand.

That is the purpose of AYN RAND NATION.

Through the stories of people influenced by Rand, from the Tea Party to members of her inner circle to Alan Greenspan, this book explores how Ayn Rand became a pervasive influence on the American right.

This book explores why Rand matters — and why her ideology needs to be engaged, not ignored. Click here to pre-order your copy.

In the weeks and months ahead, watch this blog for updates and developments.

© 2011 Gary Weiss. All rights reserved.