I was eager to read some of Rand's non-fiction so that I could have a better understanding of her philosophy and ethics. Her arguments are strong and obviously the product of a strong intellect, but I found her insights lacking in one crucial way. Her criticisms of other philosophies are based on literal interpretation. This would be quite fine if it were not for that fact that the statement and ideas she criticized weren't literal. Both Rand and Branden argue that philosophy is a psychological confession but never approached it from a psychoanalytic point of view.
The definition of Altruism she gives is exaggerated and, again, very literal; and while her criticism of this remains a good one, I am skeptical of it relevance to real people, their behavior and how Altruism has manifested in society.
While I agree with many of her arguments and ethics, I found her understanding of Human psychology (as well as Branden's) to be lacking and out-dated (even for the 1960's). However, the book is well worth reading and should be approached without fear (because there's nothing to fear) and an open mind.Get more detail about The Virtue of Selfishness.
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