Who is Ayn Rand?

With the release of a new movie based on her book, “Atlas Shrugged”, there’s been alot written  about the film, her book and the author herself. Depending on the beliefs of the author, she was either a genius or a crackpot (or worse). I think this line from Donald L. Luskin, in his article , Remembering the Real Ayn Rand, in the WSJ.com, sums up her appeal:

Rand was not a conservative or a liberal: She was an individualist. “Atlas Shrugged” is, at its heart, a plea for the most fundamental American ideal—the inalienable rights of the individual.

And I think that is why Rand, whatever her faults, is raised up by her admirers: she extols the value of individualism.