The Age of Selfishness

Ayn Rand, Morality, and the Financial Crisis

“A sympathetic but deeply critical biography of [Ayn] Rand and the eventual role of libertarian philosophy in the recent financial crisis” (The New York Times Book Review).

Tracing the emergence of Ayn Rand’s philosophy of objectivism in the 1940s to her present-day influence, Darryl Cunningham’s latest work of investigative graphic nonfiction leads readers to the heart of the global financial crisis of 2008. Cunningham uses Rand’s biography to illuminate the policies that led to the economic crash in the United States and in Europe, and how her philosophy continues to affect today’s politics and policies, starting with her most noted disciple, economist Alan Greenspan (former chairman of the Federal Reserve). Cunningham also shows how right-wing conservatives, libertarians, and the Tea Party movement have co-opted Rand’s teachings (and inherent contradictions) to promote personal gain and profit at the expense of the middle class. Tackling the complexities of economics by distilling them down to a series of concepts accessible to all age groups, Cunningham ultimately delivers a devastating analysis of our current economic world.

“This book is a superb example of how powerful graphic nonfiction can be in taking complex events and making them frighteningly clear.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“There are moments of brilliance here and excellent economic explication.” —Library Journal

“This is a well-researched, detail-packed book that I’ll need to read a few more times to fully digest.” —Boing Boing