Burns spent eight years working on the book, which began as a dissertation for her doctoral degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

1957–1968", discusses the growth of the Objectivist movement based on Rand's philosophy, and her relationship and eventual break with her protégé Nathaniel Branden.

[3] In a review for The Washington Times, libertarian journalist Brian Doherty said that the book provides "a proper sense of where Rand really stands in American ideological history."

[4] A review by Nick Gillespie in The Wilson Quarterly said, "Burns is particularly sharp at analyzing how Cold War conservatives such as Buckley rejected Rand’s rationalism but eventually benefited from her popularity with college students during the 1960s.

"[5] A brief review from Publishers Weekly was mixed, calling the book "exasperatingly detailed and slow-going at times", but complimenting Burns for her ability to "explicate the evolution of Rand's individualist worldview".