The first literary work of one of the most influential philosophers and novelists of the twentieth century-available for the first time in trade paperback. Ayn Rand wrote of her first novel, "We the Living," "It is as near to an autobiography as I will ever write. The plot is invented, the background is not...The specific events of Kira's life were not mine: her ideas, her convictions, her values, were and are." "We the Living" depicts the struggle of the individual against the state, and the impact of the Russian Revolution on three human beings who demand the right to live their own lives and pursue their own happiness. It tells of a young woman's passionate love, held like a fortress against the corrupting evil of a totalitarian state. This classic novel is not a story of politics, but of the men and women who have to struggle for existence behind the banners and slogans.

AYN RAND was the author of ATLAS SHRUGGED, philosophically the most challenging best-seller of its time. Her first novel, WE THE LIVING, was published in 1936. With the publication of THE FOUNTAINHEAD in 1943, she achieved a spectacular and enduring success. Miss Rand's unique philosophy, Objectivism, has gained a worldwide audience. The fundamentals of her philosophy are set forth in three nonfiction books: FOR THE NEW INTELLECTUAL, THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS, and CAPITALISM: THE UNKNOWN IDEAL and THE NEW LEFT. Her Broadway success, NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH, and the magnificent statement of her artistic credo, THE ROMANTIC MANIFESTO, are also available in Signet editions.