This site gets donors to send Objectivist books (books by Ayn Rand or about her philosophy of Objectivism) to students who would like to read them. Our goal is to get more students reading Ayn Rand.
Students create a simple public profile with their name and school, and say what book they want to read. Donors browse a list of students and choose which ones they want to send books to. The donors send the books to the students directly, or they contribute money and have a site volunteer send the books.
Why are people willing to donate these books?
The donors are big fans of Ayn Rand and her philosophy. Many of us would say that reading her works changed our lives. We want to spread her ideas and we're happy to help students discover her work. Read our testimonials for quotes from our donors.
Who is Ayn Rand? What is “Objectivism”?
Ayn Rand was a 20th-century novelist and philosopher, most famous for her novels Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead. “Objectivism” is the name she gave to her philosophy, which upholds reason, individualism, and capitalism. Learn more from The Ayn Rand Institute.
Do you send books outside the US?
Yes! Our donors have sent books to students from Albania to Zimbabwe.
Who is behind this?
This site is a private project by Jason Crawford, of The Rational Egoist.
Who else has given support for this project?
Aside from donations to individual students, we also sometimes receive bulk donations of books from the Ayn Rand Institute, which we use to subsidize some requests (donors pay only the shipping costs to fulfill these requests, since the book itself has already been provided).
Can I request multiple books?
Yes, but you can only have one open request at a time. Once we've found a donor for your first request, you can request another book.
Can I request books for friends or others?
Please have your friends sign up on the site directly to receive a book. Everyone who receives a book should be registered for a Free Objectivist Books account. You can email this link to anyone who wants to sign up: https://secure.freeobjectivistbooks.org/signup/read
What if no one grants my book request?
We get a lot of requests for books, and sometimes we can't get enough donations to grant them all. (We try to find a donor for every request, but no guarantees.)
If we haven't found a donor for you after a month, you'll have a chance to renew your request and put it back at the top of the list for donors to find. You can do this once a month.
My donor sent the book a while ago, but I haven't received it. What do I do?
Send your donor a message through the site and ask them for an update or a tracking number. If they don't respond or if you still don't get your book, contact me at jason@freeobjectivistbooks.org
Do I have to pay shipping costs or anything else?
No, all costs including shipping are covered by the donor. We will never ask you for money in order to receive a book.
Can I donate used books?
Yes, used books are fine.
Do I have to mail the books myself? Can I just buy them online?
Yes, that's fine. Many donors buy books on Amazon or AbeBooks and ship them directly to students. No need to pack boxes or visit the post office.
Even buying online is a hassle. Can I just give money?
Yes, for almost all requests. Either we will ship the book automatically from a fulfillment center, or one of our volunteers will buy the book online for you and ship it to the student on your behalf. We will just ask you for a contribution to cover the cost—when browsing student requests, you'll see the prices on eligible requests.
Can I donate Kindle editions or other e-books?
If the student can accept an e-book, then you can complete your donation that way. For now, you'll have to message each student after you choose them, and ask if they can accept an e-book format.
Why not list requests in the order they are received?
Requests are listed with the most recent on top to give each student a turn in the most prominent position. If a request is immediately appealing to donors, it will be granted right away. Otherwise, it is moved down the page to give newer appeals a chance to be seen.
After one month, if no one has granted a request, the student can renew it and put it back at the top. They can do this once a month. (If a student neglects to renew a request for two months, we take it off the list. That keeps the list of open requests fresh for donors who are browsing.)
Are contributions tax-deductible?
Yes, Free Objectivist Books is a 501(c)(3) public educational charity, and your donation is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
What will you do with my info?
Your public profile shows only your name and city (and for students, school and area of study). Students and the books they want to read will be displayed publicly on the site so that donors can find them and fulfill their requests.
Your email address will be used by us to contact you, but will not be displayed publicly. For students, your mailing address will only be shown, if necessary, to the donor or volunteer who sends your book.
Jason Crawford, The Rational Egoist
Follow me on Twitter (@rationalegoist) and Facebook
Email me: jason@freeobjectivistbooks.org