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Feb 03, 2011Jperk rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
What makes "The Fountainhead" such a remarkable book? Well, the theme of the story is creativity vs. mediocrity. For example, main character (protagonists) Howard Roak is talented architect. On the other hand, (antagonist) co-worker Peter Keating’s major talent is uncheck longevity getting away posing to be talented (or a professional architect). While the arrogance of Mr. Keating’s subconscious ID refuses to acknowledge Mr. Roak’s superior arcitechural geniuses, his surface conscious ego makes it plausible for him to steal or usurp the creative ideas of Mr. Roak. This is not uncommon in real life. A lot of humble thinkers are ripped-off daily by organizational “Empire Builders’” like Mr. Keating. They won’t hesitate to use non-creative cognitive energy to rip off defenseless thinkers, and this behavior goes on in a lot of organizational cultures. Mrs. Ayn Ryan O'Conner developed her objectivism philosophy based on the behaviors of these cultures. She contends that creative thinkers in a free market society have led to major improvements for human kind. Many have done this while working along side non-creative associates and colleagues who have no scruples about usurping the glory from the work of geniuses, especially those who know how to get away with cheating on exams, falsifying or inflating mediocre credentials, and landing high paid positions as a result of affiliations or political connections, etc. Mrs. O’Conner’s book will always stand the litmus test of genius vs. mediocrity in human creativity and workplace dynamics. Recommendation: read “Alas Shrugged,” and “We the Living,” also by Ms. Ayn Ryan O’Conner.