How Did You Come to Atlas Shrugged?
To further Edith's post about the turtle trader. There are some excellent stories about first time reading the book and influencing others to read the book. My coming to the book wasn't that interesting but I thought my spouse's story was, so I'll share that. In college, during finals week. He was always disciplined about being prepared for tests and could not put the book down. Needless to say, his allnighters that semester were spent on Ayn Rand not physics.
Even then I knew the story had great meaning for me but I just did not have the patience or persistance to complete the book.
I have never been a great reader. I could read anything by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Zane Grey, or Robert Heinlein but Ayn Rand was just to much to handle.
About 1995 I purchased the audio tapes which I could play on my way to and from work. Eventually I got through the entire book. I would play it time and time again when on long road trips.
Now I have downloaded it from Audible.com and have it always at the tip of my fingers.
I then started picking up EVERYTHING I could read that she wrote or that was written about her and her life.
I have become a fanatic about the fanatic known as Ayn Rand.
I have become a fanatic Capitalist and explorer of history, and other great men and women.
For example - While working in Saudi Arabia, I traveled the route that T.E.Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), from his landing at Yanbo, to Medina (The home of Mohamed) through Thama, Tabuk and ultimately to the Turkish Fort at the Gulf of Aqaba. I have visited many of the Knights Templar Castles, ancient Greek/Persian/Roman cities.
I have sat in the Rabbi's seat of the first church that Paul of Tarsus built not far from Tarsus. Discovered a storage facility for amphora jars on the outer gates of the "Snake Castle" in Turkey.
I get the same feeling of adventure as when I read anything from Ayn Rand.
It's interesting. I remember reading somewhere(I'll find it) that Rand originally wanted Atlas to be a teleplay. At the time, she was enamored with the invention of television, and as a screen writer, she thought the book was suited to the medium. I am curious as to why she thought that. Maybe someone in here knows...