The Vindication of Ayn Rand A review of James S. Valliant’s The Passion of Ayn Rand’s Critics: The Case Against the Brandens by Cass Hewitt Who would have thought that within the seemingly sedate and cerebral world of philosophy would be found a history to rival any Hollywood drama for intrigue, passion, seduction, lies, betrayal, black evil, and the ultimate triumph of the good—and which is also a fascinating detective story. Among those who rose to heights of fame in the last half of the twentieth century none was as charismatic as the author-philosopher Ayn Rand. Her electrifying, radical...