CECILE LEVEE

1 The Fountain Head by Ayn Rand

This book really resonated with me, and reflects one of my favourite quotes: “In matters of style swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” Thomas Jefferson

The protagonist Howard Roark’s willingness to forgo wealth and acceptance for individuality and integrity is such a rarity with our success-at-all-cost culture. His willingness to lose everything except his unwavering belief in himself, his talent and integrity is Rand’s way of showing her belief that individuality and personal values should be more important that collectivism.

2 Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, her 4th and final book

This book took me quite a while to read as it is over 1,500 pages. And it is what Ayn Rand describes as “the role of man’s mind in existence”.

It speaks to to destruction of private businesses when there is too much red tape and Government interference. Hank Reardon, a steel entrepreneur had to fight against “looters”. Until he and his lover railroad executive Danny lead a strike against the Government resulting in the ultimate collapse of the Government. Again, Rand’s belief in individuality, capitalism and objectivism which she describes as “the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute”.

3 Dew Angels by Melanie Schwapp I could not put this book down. It was gripping, engaging and, most of all, I loved how Melanie used words in the most beautiful way.

4 The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan

Frankopan’s intriguing history book on the beginning of humanity, argues that the Persian Empire was the centre of the rise of humanity, contrary to traditional views that Western Civilisation as we know it started with the Romans, who inherited it from the Greek and in some accounts inherited it from the Egyptians.

5 Mastery by Robert Greene

A book on how to become a master in any field by studying the lives and steps taken by historical successful masters like Mozart, Paul Graham, Da Vinci.

6 A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

The cult classic published after Toole committed suicide is about Ignatius J Reilly, a 30-year-old who holds a master’s degree, lives with his widowed mother and is a total sloth. He has left his home