Anthem

Ayn Rand has written some very powerful pieces of literature, and "Anthem" is no exception, though it is on a different level than most of her works. First off, it is much shorter than, say, "The Fountainhead" or "Atlas Shrugged" which are both long and intense reads. "Anthem" applies the same principles of objectivism that are found in others of her works, but in a more condensed version. If you haven't read Rand before, I would definitely suggest starting off with this one before moving into one of her 1000-page works; it puts all of her beliefs and ideas into a nutshell and prepares you for the real thing. It is in itself a good story; the story of a man without a name in a society where everyone has a place, whether they like it or not. It is a futuristic world, but not in a sci-fi sense; rather, while the calanders have advanced the world has gone backwards. It is a very insightful look into the dangers of one of the most noble ideas, communism, and a nice introduction to the Ayn Rand mindset.