who is john galt?

during my college years, being young and idealistic, (not to mention being in a state university whose apparent objective is to mould its students to be the 'voice' of the present in order to effectively become the 'leaders' of the future) - i was one of those who believed that anything bordering on controversy compounded by an influence to our political and socio-philosophical views then was a definite best-seller and a sure-ball discussion group material within the campus...one such example is ayn rand's book, "atlas shrugged", initially banned due to its theme...

for years (before & after my time in the university), the book had been one of the, if not THE, most popularly-borrowed from the library...and you will know, if you get the opportunity to see it with your own eyes (which i really hope you do), why students prefer to read the 'atlas shrugged book from the library' rather than any other copy in the world whether bought or given as a gift...the library copy was actually pretty old, i still remember the hard bound cover was already too faded when it finally landed on my hands that i could barely read the engraved letters...it looked old and torn but perhaps it was because too many eyes and hands have already held it...just like genuine leather, the more you touch, hold or rub it, the shinier it gets and the older it feels...

the moment you open this book, you will discover why it has become the most sought after copy...inside its pages are notes scribbled by students who have borrowed and read it over the years, mostly unsigned...notes in different handwriting and written on the page margins, in black or blue or red pens, these raw expressions were from various generations of students stating views, opinions, agreements, oppositions, there are even debates about the many issues stated in the book...it was like being in an inter-active discussion group while reading this particular copy and really, one cannot help but react (and in writing just as well), to ayn rand and subsequently to the other readers before me...it was an amazing experience and never have i found such passion amongst readers towards a book, or any other material for that matter...i felt this was the best form of vandalism i've ever seen as such graffiti only made the book more reflective of our societies and the liberties we enjoy from them despite its being written decades ago...

'atlas shrugged' and 'the fountainhead' are two of the most compelling books i've read in my youth and definitely the kind i will not hesitate reading all over again...