• • • Was Dhoni right in keeping mum? 
,
Altruism  |The Fountainhead  |Egoism  | An individual is obliged to no one but to himself or herself. That statement, brazen though it might sound, sums up the essence of one of the most influential novels of the twentieth century: "The Fountainhead". The controversial novel that was penned by Ayn Rand damned the philosophy of altruism while extolling the virtue of selfishness. No other work of literature glorified the concept of human ego the way the Fountainhead did.

The hallmark of a work of art lies not in the glory of its creator but in the relevance of the same for posterity. Thus, even 70 years after its publication, Ms. Rand's novel continues to illuminate its readers and reminds them that there are no obligations that one individual owes another. The protagonists of the novel are two uncompromising idealists who find fulfillment and happiness in staying true to themselves than in bowing down to the whims and diktats of society.  

• • ‘Dark always precedes dawn’ 
,
One book that left an immense impact on my life was The World According to Garp by John Irving. I read the book in school when I was in my late teens. The Fountainhead was a cult book then. It had legendary characters and talked about morality. Whereas, this book’s lead character was not perfect. Anachronism is the word to describe his character. The book taught me to take life with a pinch of salt. It made me realise that we should rather not take life very seriously.  

• • • Words influence me more than persons, says Sreelekha IPS 
,
Anthem  |Atlas Shrugged  |Night of January 16th  |The Fountainhead  |Capitalism  |Egoism  |Individualism  |Personal life  |Inaccurate  | If I could name one of the myriad authors I admire, I’d say it is Ayn Rand. I was past my teens, still timid and shy,naïve and liked to disappear in the shadows in front of people, when I chanced upon a small book on the vast bookshelf of an uncle who is an avid reader — The Anthem. The name of the author was also unfamiliar then. I assumed it was a man. The book is about the lack of identity in men, where men have no names, no individuality or personality of their own.  

• • ‘Roark is my hero for life’ 
,
The Fountainhead  | [A] book that I read again and again is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Howard Roark, the central character, is my hero for life. I feel when you read about legendary characters like Roark you get inspired by them.  

• • Pvt bus gets woman conductor 

‘The verdict you pronounce upon the source of your livelihood is the verdict that you pronounce upon your life,’ said Ayn Rand, the Russian born American writer and novelist. Thirty-three-year-old Shaini Byju of Vadakara in Kottayam district, mother of two school going children, may never have heard of Ayn Rand, but she practices the passion for her livelihood that Rand talks about. Shaini is the only woman conductor to be employed by a private bus company in the entire state.  

• Class apart from the rest 

Harini Ramachandran is definitely unlike most in her generation. This 16-year-old has just been declared one of the fifteen global finalists of the Google Science Fair 2011 and will be flown out to the Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California, to participate in the final round and be a part of the awards ceremony on July 11. [....] Harini loves to read. At present, she is reading Ayn Rand, and enjoying it thoroughly .  

• • ‘Heroes with dubious traits are fascinating’ 
,
The Fountainhead  |Individualism  | All good-natured, chivalrous heroes with drop-dead handsome looks from the old world classic romances are conventionally famous around the world. But for me, it’s the darker side of a man that I find fascinating. [....] My favourite pick is Howard Roark, the lead male protagonist of the bestseller The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. Published in 1943, this gripping pageturner highlights the story of Roark — a dynamic, young and spirited individualistic architect, who prefers to go the whole hog surreptitiously only to realise his artistic and personal goals. He never compromises on his methods to achieve it. The book entails his fight up the modern architectural ladder which others might misconstrue as illegal or anti-establishment. However, Roark sticks to his guns to rise from the ashes.  

• • ‘Murakami’s writing has a lot of gravity’ 
,
The Fountainhead  | I love John Irving a lot. The World According to Garp by Irving had a huge impact on me. The book came out when Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead was making news, but Irving had more impact on me than Rand.  

• Writer’s block 

Madhuri Banerjee is a media professional, writer and film director. Her debut book, Losing My Virginity and Other Dumb Ideas, was published recently. [....] [Q:] Who are your favourite novelists? [A:] Elif Shafak, Ayn Rand, John Grisham and Agatha Christie.  

• • Things that make you go…aargh 

The Fountainhead  | Ayn Rand: The writer of such bestsellers as The Fountainhead has as many rabid haters as fans. “Ayn Rand is so overrated, but she sells so much,” says blogger and poet Bharat Iyer.  

• • I love anything Bolly 
,
The Fountainhead  | Favourite book: Ayn Rand and all her books! I loved Fountainhead.