It wasn't a friend but; I stopped by the grocery store today while wearing my Who Is John Galt? Atlas Shrugged in Theaters 10.12.12 t-shirt. The lady in line in front of me said "I remember Who John Galt is, I'm so glad I read it." I tapped my Now Non-Fiction hat and said it's now non-fiction and she said yes it is. I asked if she knew they had made movies of the book and she replied that she is a book person, not a movie person. She said it was required reading when she was in school. The checker asked what the book was and said she'd never heard of it. Both the lady in front of me and I said she should read it and the checker said she would.

RE recommending AS to total strangers
We do business with small, locally owned stores wen we can, and they are the best place to recommend this book. I actually say, "May I give you a 2-minute lecture?", and usually get assent, and go on "You know in any organization, there are people who work really hard, and always do their best, and come up with good ideas, and solve problems?" Nod of assent. "and there are also people who.." about half the people I'm talking to interject "don't."
so I go on, and say "the people who don't work hard, or always go home early kind of have a resentment of those who do well, don't they?" Uh, huh, usually with a glance towards someone leaning against the wall "and I continue, " So what do you think would happen if, one day, all those people, the people who really produce - what if they just.........stopped?" and then I do this REALLY hard thing, which is to SHUT UP and let them think about it. Replies vary in wording, but are general along the lines of "we'd be in trouble" and I end with saying "This book is about what happens when those people, the producers, the doer, the makers just stop." Most people are a bit shaken and are thinking. So I write the title down for them [I'm looking on eBay for paperback copies cheap enough to just hand out to people] and we talk a bit more, but you can tell their world is rocking a little.
I love that.

I have a very close friend who is also retired like me. He is very well read in fiction works and very smart, but a bit arguementative. His wife also reads a lot. He avoids the news with a passion. I have broached the subject of Atlas Shrugged many times, talked about the concepts AR puts forth, even Galts oath. They simply refuse to take AS on because of its fine print and length. I keep trying.

I have thought of putting AS in some of the community library boxes I pass by. Most days I bike by at least one. I don't think someone is likely to read a large book, though, just because they happen upon it. I almost wish there were a comic book version to put in there, not b/c I think people are stupid but they might read it and be surprised by the content. Possibly they'd read the unabridged version later.