The Objectivism Research CD Rom: The Works of Ayn Rand (CD-ROM)

~ Ayn Rand (Author), Leonard Peikoff (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For the first time you can now digitally browse or search the majority of the works of groundbreaking novelist and philosopher Ayn Rand, contained on a single CD-ROM: from Anthem to Atlas Shrugged, to the penetrating insight and analysis of her non-fiction. Also included as a bonus are works by longtime associate and heir of Ayn Rand, Dr. Leonard Peikoff.

From the Publisher

Here's what two customers have to say about The Objectivism Research CD-ROM:

Dr. Harry Binswanger, prominent Objectivist philosopher and lecturer:

"I have been using the beta-test version of the CD for a couple of years, with great pleasure, and I have now installed the commercial version, which I highly recommend ... Through a super-speedy search facility, I can find any half-remembered quote in about two seconds ... This CD is a 'must have' tool for anyone seriously interested in Ayn Rand."

Stephen Speicher, scientist:

This is a wonderfully unique product, unlike any other Objectivist references available. The ability to search through virtually the entire corpus of Ayn Rand's writings at the speed of a computer, is just astounding. Just imagine being able to find all references where Miss Rand used certain words or phrases, where she expressed ideas in a certain way which interests you. Without the Objectivism CDROM, that task would be so daunting that few would ever be able to spend the time or effort doing. This is a remarkable product, a resource of great value to anyone interested in Objectivism.

Product Details

• CD-ROM
• Publisher: Oliver Computing (May 1, 2001)
• ISBN-10: 0971178704
• ISBN-13: 978-0971178700
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,227,298 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Research Tool, August 9, 2001

By	Blake Scholl "upstart" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What did Miss Rand say about "privacy?" What did she write about "Ronald Reagan," "doctors," or "psycho-epistemology?" Previously, searching Miss Rand's works was a time-intensive process, requiring fumbling through more than a dozen books--with a high probability of missing an important reference or two. Thanks to the Objectivism Research CD-ROM, now this process is error-free and takes only a second or two.

The Objectivism Research CD-ROM is a must-have for anyone interested in Miss Rand's philosophy. The convenient search tool is impressively fast and powerful, making it very easy to find material by Miss Rand or Dr. Peikoff on any subject they wrote about.

That said, this CD is not a replacement for the printed copies of of the works it contains. Unlike other eBook formats (Acrobat or MS Reader), the CD doesn't use anti-aliasing to render text smoothly. You'll find it much more comfortable to have a printed copy whenever you want to read more than a few sentences. Also, note that the text is stored in a proprietary format on the CD; unfortunately, you can't load it onto your PalmPilot or PocketPC and take it with you.

Here are the works you'll find on this CD:

Fiction By Ayn Rand:
* Night of January 16th
* We the Living
* The Fountainhead
* Anthem
* Atlas Shrugged

Non-Fiction by Ayn Rand:
* "Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal"
* For The New Intellectual
* Introduction To Objectivist Epistemology
* Journals Of Ayn Rand
* Letters Of Ayn Rand
* Only Path To Tomorrow
* The Art of Fiction
* The Art of Nonfiction
* The Ayn Rand Column (LA Times)
* The Ayn Rand Letter
* The Man-Haters
* The New Left
* The Objectivist
* The Objectivist Newsletter
* The Romantic Manifesto
* The Virtue Of Selfishness
* The Voice Of Reason

By Dr. Leonard Peikoff
* The Ominous Parallels
* Objectivism: The Philosophy Of Ayn Rand

Note that articles by Dr. Peikoff's appearing in Miss Rand's titles *are* included on the CD, but many articles by others (such as Alan Greenspan and Nathaniel Branden) have been removed.

I highly recommend this CD as part of your library of Objectivist works.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Complete Ayn Rand Reference, January 15, 2004

By	Nicholas Provenzo (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This CD is a complete compotation of all of Ayn Rand's published works, her writing courses, as well as excerpts from her private journals and letters. In addition, it includes Dr. Leonard Peikoff's groundbreaking "Objectivism, The Philosophy of Ayn Rand."

The interface is solid, although I would prefer a more Google-like approach to advanced searches, which this interface lacks. In addition, cut and paste functions are limited. In contrast the print function allows one to print whole chapters, or "topics" as they are called. My understanding that limited cut and paste was a condition in the publication of this CD, hardly a concession compared to the value of being able to search though all of Ayn Rand's works in one easy package.

Clearly, this CD is solid value for those interested in studying Ayn Rand's philosophy.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very useful research tool, June 2, 2002

By	Tom Brosz "Tom A. Brosz" (California, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have found this very useful for locating quotes and references. The interface is a little clunky for reading, but this was not the intention of the product, so that's okay. The magnification feature is useful. I wish it were possible to cut and paste more than a couple of lines at a time when using quotes in my research, but I can understand why they would be worried about large scale copying. Definitely worth the money.