Atlas Shrugged (1957) by Ayn Rand is a philosophical novel set in a dystopian America struggling under collectivist policies and economic collapse. The story follows Dagny Taggart, a determined railroad executive, as she battles government interference to keep her family's business alive. Meanwhile, society's most brilliant innovators and industrialists mysteriously vanish, led by the enigmatic John Galt. As civilization crumbles, Dagny discovers the "strikers of the mind" have withdrawn their talents in protest against exploitation and control. The novel champions Rand's philosophy of Objectivism, celebrating individualism, rational self-interest, and free-market capitalism, while asking its central question: "Who is John Galt?"
