21 Jul 98

To:
A letter to the Editor
USA Today

Your article about the 100 best books of the 20th century shows exactly how a group of pompous literary critics would not know a good book if you hit them over the head with one--even one as big and revolutionary as Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.

This book, which took Ayn Rand twelve years to write, is unparalleled in its plot, character development, imagery, and symbolism.  What is more, it presents a unique and thoroughly integrated philosophy that sparked an intellectual revolution.

A survey by the Library of Congress ranked Atlas Shrugged second only to the Bible as the most influential book of all time.  To this day, it sells thousands of copies each year while the number of people influenced by Ayn Rand’s philosophy of reason and individualism continues to grow.

How is it that the greatest novel ever written did not even make their top 100 list?  Ask anyone capable of critiquing literary works objectively and they will surely tell you that Atlas Shrugged is the greatest book of all time.

Eric J. Lakits