For the first time, I find it necessary to comment on a book’s reviews-to-date before offering my own critique of it. The Passion of Ayn Rand’s Critics (Durban House Publishing, $27.95) by James S. Valliant has been blasted by its own passionate critics in both formal reviews and online discussions. The book’s provocative subtitle, The Case Against the Brandens (Nathaniel and Barbara Branden), almost guarantees that admirers of those two popular writers will assume a defensive stance. But the response has been more than defensive; it has verged on questioning the Valliant book’s right to exist. Certainly, the subject matter … Continue reading The Passion of Ayn Rand’s Critics:The Case Against the Brandens