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Enrich your classroom with free copies of Ayn Rand’s classic, thought-provoking literature

Dramatic Stories. Enduring Themes.

Anthem

105 pages | Print format available | 8th-12th grade

Anthem is Ayn Rand’s “hymn to man’s ego.” It is the story of one man’s rebellion against a totalitarian, collectivist society. Equality 7-2521 is a young man who yearns to understand “the Science of Things.” But he lives in a bleak, dystopian future where independent thought is a crime and where science and technology have regressed to primitive levels.

All expressions of individualism have been suppressed in the world of Anthem; personal possessions are nonexistent, individual preferences are condemned as sinful and romantic love is forbidden. Obedience to the collective is so deeply ingrained that the very word “I” has been erased from the language.

In pursuit of his quest for knowledge, Equality 7-2521 struggles to answer the questions that burn within him — questions that ultimately lead him to uncover the mystery behind his society’s downfall and to find the key to a future of freedom and progress.

We the Living

432 pages | Print format available | 10th-12th grade

The setting is Soviet Russia, early 1920s. Kira Argounova, a university engineering student who wants a career building bridges, falls in love with Leo Kovalensky, son of a czarist hero. Both Kira and Leo yearn to shape their own future — but they are trapped in a communist state that claims the right to sacrifice individual lives for the sake of the collective.

When Kira is kicked out of the university as an undesirable and Leo’s past makes him unemployable, life becomes a grim struggle for physical survival. Leo contracts tuberculosis but can’t get admitted to a state sanitarium, despite Kira’s best efforts. Desperate, she seeks help from Andrei Taganov, an ardent young communist whose love for Kira helps awaken him to the meaning of genuine personal values, not to be surrendered for others’ sake.

What will happen as these three struggle to be living individuals in defiance of the power of the collectivist state?

The Fountainhead

694 pages | Print format available | 11th-12th grade

In her first notes for The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand describes its purpose as “a defense of egoism in its real meaning . . . a new definition of egoism and its living example.” She later states its theme as “individualism versus collectivism, not in politics, but in man’s soul; the psychological motivations and the basic premises that produce the character of an individualist or a collectivist.”

The “living example” of egoism is Howard Roark, “an architect and innovator, who breaks with tradition, [and] recognizes no authority but that of his own independent judgment.” Roark’s individualism is contrasted with the spiritual collectivism of many of the other characters, who are variations on the theme of “second-handedness” — thinking, acting and living second-hand.

Roark struggles to endure not merely professional rejection, but also the enmity of Ellsworth Toohey, beloved humanitarian and leading architectural critic; of Gail Wynand, powerful publisher; and of Dominique Francon, the beautiful columnist who loves him fervently yet is bent on destroying his career.

The Fountainhead earned Rand a lasting reputation as one of history’s greatest champions of individualism.

Atlas Shrugged

1072 pages | Print format available | 11th-12th grade

The country’s top banker — a leading oil producer — a once-revered professor — an acclaimed composer — a distinguished judge. All vanish without explanation and without trace.

A copper magnate becomes a worthless playboy. A philosopher-turned-pirate is rumored to roam the seas. The remnants of a brilliant invention are left as scrap in an abandoned factory.

What is happening to the world? Why does it seem to be in a state of decay? Can it be saved — and how?

Atlas Shrugged “is a mystery story, not about the murder of a man’s body, but about the murder — and rebirth — of man’s spirit.”

Follow along as industrialist Hank Rearden and railroad executive Dagny Taggart struggle to keep the country afloat and unravel the mysteries that confront them. Discover why, at every turn, they are met with public opposition and new government roadblocks, taxes and controls — and with the disappearance of the nation’s most competent men and women.

Will Hank and Dagny succeed in saving the country — and will they discover the answer to the question “Who is John Galt?”

"The value is priceless"

Why Teach Ayn Rand

Since 2002, more than 70,000 teachers have received free copies of Rand’s novels for their classrooms. Here’s why:

GRIPPING CONTENT

Ayn Rand’s novels appeal to young readers like few other books do. They are rich with dramatic storytelling, strong and complex characters, and enduring themes. They also challenge students to think more deeply about the world, about the choices they make in their lives, and about what kind of person they want to become.

EXPERT RESOURCES

In addition to the books, we also provide teachers with dozens of free resources to make it easier to incorporate the books into a curriculum and spark in-class discussion—from teacher’s guides and lesson plans to chapter lead-in videos and virtual classroom Q&As with our team of experts.

Novelist, Philosopher, Icon

During her own lifetime, Ayn Rand became a famous and controversial figure. A best-selling author, she also carried her message to university classrooms, to Hollywood, to Congress, to the editorial page, to talk shows and radio programs. Her presence has only increased since her death in 1982, as her philosophy has become more well-known. Today, her books have sold in the millions, and she’s the subject of an Oscar-nominated documentary, a U.S. postage stamp, university courses, and a philosophical society devoted to the study of her thought.

Fueled by her vision of man as a heroic being and by the original philosophy behind it, more and more people, from all walks of life, from businessmen to students to professors to athletes to artists, are saying the same thing: “Ayn Rand’s writings changed my life.”

20 Years of Supporting Teachers

4.7 million free books
. . . and counting!

Over the past two decades, ARI has provided high school and middle school educators across the United States and Canada with millions of free copies of Anthem, We the Living, The Fountainhead, and Atlas Shrugged.

It's Truly Free

This program is made possible by the donors of the Ayn Rand Institute, and especially the following individuals and organizations, who want to give students the opportunity to read and discuss Rand’s novels in school.
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The Ayn Rand Institute offers a variety of educational experiences to promote greater understanding of Ayn Rand’s philosophy and, through the writing and speaking of our experts, advocates her principles of reason, rational self-interest and laissez-faire capitalism. Learn more about ways to support us.

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