Yes, they are steel tycoons who invent new metals, architects who build the tallest buildings in New York, and rebels who save the world by stopping its engine. And today’s real-life Rand heroes are titans of technology and finance, among the wealthiest people who ever lived. But these heroes are exceptional only in their epic scale, not in their intrinsic nature. Rand’s books—like life itself—are full of characters who build exceptional lives by following Rand’s philosophy, even though they do not become world-famous industrialists. From The Fountainhead, think of Mike, the humble but superlatively competent construction worker who works with the brilliant architect Howard Roark. From Atlas Shrugged, think of Eddie Willers, the unassuming but—again—superlatively competent assistant to the high-powered railroad executive Dagny Taggart. Or how about Quentin Daniels, the young but—are we seeing a pattern here?—superlatively competent student who strives to reproduce John Galt’s technology breakthrough?
