**The Fountainhead** , which became one of the most influential and widely read philosophical novels of the twentieth century, made **Ayn Rand** famous. An impassioned proponent of reason, rational self-interest, individualism, and laissez-faire capitalism, she expressed her unique views in numerous works of fiction and non-fiction that have been brought together for the first time in this one-of-a-kind volume.Containing excerpts from all her novels–including **Atlas Shrugged, Anthem** , and **We The Living–The Ayn Rand Reader** is a perfect introduction for those who have never read Rand, and provides teachers with an excellent guide to the basics of her viewpoint.