Dr. Robert Mayhew reviews Jennifer Burns’ new book Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right in the latest issue of The Objective Standard

Regarding the book, Mayhew writes:

What readers might have expected–what such a book could have been–is a presentation of the development of Ayn Rand’s political thought and its basis in her more fundamental philosophy, a history of her political activities and interactions with others on the right explained largely in terms of her philosophy, and a discussion of how she compares to others on the right in terms of essentials. The successful execution of such a project would not require agreement with Rand’s philosophy or political views; but it would require at least a basic understanding of, and interest in, her philosophical fundamentals and her arguments for her political ideas. Burns, however, has no grasp of or interest in Rand’s philosophical ideas or arguments, and chose to write a different sort of biography.

Mayhew then details a variety of major problems with the book stemming from that lack of serious interest in and understanding of Ayn Rand’s ideas. Go read the whole thing for free.