jbgotmar

More oxford books @ www.OxfordeBook.com
CHAPTER ONE
From Russia to Roosevelt
$
it was a wintry day in 1918 when the Red Guard pounded on the
door of Zinovy Rosenbaum’s chemistry shop. The guards bore a
seal of the State of Russia, which they nailed upon the door, signaling
that it had been seized in the name of the people. Zinovy could at least
be thankful the mad whirl of revolution had taken only his property, not
his life. But his oldest daughter, Alisa, twelve at the time, burned with
indignation. The shop was her father’s; he had worked for it, studied
long hours at university, dispensed valued advice and medicines to his
customers. Now in an instant it was gone, taken to benefi t nameless,
faceless peasants, strangers who could offer her father nothing in return.
The soldiers had come in boots, carrying guns, making clear that resistance
would mean death. Yet they had spoken the language of fairness
and equality, their goal to build a better society for all. Watching, listening,
absorbing, Alisa knew one thing for certain: those who invoked
such lofty ideals were not to be trusted. Talk about helping others was
only a thin cover for force and power. It was a lesson she would never
forget.
Ayn Rand’s father, Zinovy Rosenbaum, was a self-made man. His bootstrap
was a coveted space at Warsaw University, a privilege granted to only
a few Jewish students. After earning a degree in chemistry, he established
his own business in St. Petersburg. By the time of the Revolution he had
ensconced his family in a large apartment on Nevsky Prospekt, a prominent
address at the heart of the city. His educated and cultured wife, Anna,
came from a wealthy and well-connected background. Her father was an
expert tailor favored by the Russian Army, a position that helped shield
their extended family against anti-Semitic violence.
Fore more urdu books visit www.4Urdu.com
9