When "The Fountainhead" was first published, Ayn Rand's boldly original literary vision and her groundbreaking philosophy, Objectivism, immediately garnered worldwide interest and recognition. This masterpiece tells the story of an unyielding young architect, his violent struggle against conventional standards, and his explosive love affair with a beautiful woman who tries to defeat him. This edition includes a special afterword by Rand's literary executor, Leonard Peikoff, which features excerpts from Ayn Rand's own notes on the creation of "The Fountainhead." As fresh as it was then, this is a novel about a hero – and about those who seek to destroy him.