I am not a particular fan or either Rand or Russell (though I find him to be quite witty). Reading a history of philosophy by a philosopher could be a little constraining and could possibly not reflect all points of view. I would suggest the above suggestion or even one of my favorite books:
The Passion Of The Western Mind by Richard Tarnas
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/034...777428?ie=UTF8
I found it to be a wonderful and concise history and not just because my master, Joseph Campbell, has a ringing endorsement on the cover. I highly recommend this book.
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"But a work of art is a conscious human effort that has to do with communication. It is that or its nothing. When an accident is applauded as a work of art, when a cult grows up around the deliciousness of inadvertent beauty, we are in the presence of the greatest decadence the West has known in its history."
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