I have been studying a lot about individualism or egoism if you prefer. There is no better author to start with than Ayn Rand. She wrote several books on Rational Individualism or Objectivism as she called it. This is a review of one of her easy reads.
The "Virtue of Selfishness" is a collection of essays written by her and her one time colleague Nathaniel Branden. It is a primer basically on what she believed and taught. Her philosophy of living. It can be summed up in two words "Me First." Me first doesn't mean "Me Only" One of her slogans is "Think, produce." So it is egoism prompted and supported by rational thought. Take care of and support number one. And it doesn't negate charity. Just that you think about your giving and its ramifications. And maybe remember that charity begins at home. The best chapter to read is the first chapter. It is a great summation of her belief system.
Things I like about this book. I like the brevity and simplicity of this work. It can help you get a handle on her ideas fast. Unlike the beastly tomes "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead". I own both of those and have not been able to finish reading either of them. I don't like her defense of herself. She says don't attack me if you don't like my system. She couldn't live up to her ideals. She supported her alcoholic husband. Where was his rational egoism? So, to me. a philosophy of life you can't live up to is a philosophy of life not worth sharing.
All in all, this is a book worth reading at least once. It is worth reading because her ideas have inspired at least two movements, and also because she has many admirers even today. I give it four our of five stars. So read it, think about it and then perhaps develop you own philosophy of life. Ayn Rand would approve of that.
