Hehe, Ayn Rand helps me a great deal. She helps me recognize those whose political thought, regardless of any similarities to my own, never quite matured beyond adolescence. Knowing which people (of every political stripe) are simply regurgitating talking points heard elsewhere, verses those who arrived at their convictions through independent thought, is a great help in knowing just how seriously to take them.

Regarding the artistic merits of Ms Rand's best-known work, Whittaker Chambers' verdict has withstood the intervening 50 years quite well.