Atlas Shrugged

Published in 1957, 'Atlas Shrugged' is Ayn Rand's magnum opus and her longest novel.

The story is set in a dystopian United States where increasingly burdensome laws and regulations strangle innovation and productivity.

The plot follows Dagny Taggart, a railroad executive, and Hank Rearden, a steel magnate, as they struggle against 'looters' who exploit their work.

A mysterious figure named John Galt leads a strike of productive individuals, persuading them to abandon their companies and disappear.

The novel culminates with Galt's three-hour radio speech explaining his philosophy of Objectivism, which emphasizes rational self-interest, individual rights, and the importance of the human mind.

The book explores themes of capitalism, property rights, and the failures of governmental coercion, presenting a provocative vision of a society in collapse and the potential for a new capitalist society based on Galt's principles.