Her works may not be recent, but the controversy surrounding Ayn Rand never seems to fade away. Rand was the proponent of an ideology called "objectivism," which argues that there is such a thing as an objective reality and that the pursuit of self interest (i.e. lassez faire capitalism) is the only moral form of governance. (Rand was an atheist who disdained Judeo-Christian morality). Her ideas have been hotly debated for years and became an issue again in the 2012 presidential campaign when it came to light that Republican vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan had a reputation as a Rand fan – an allegiance he dropped like a hot potato.
The book "Ayn Rand Nation," by Gary Weiss, focuses on the way Rand's ideas have influenced society since the publication of "Atlas Shrugged."
