“I started off with a list of top hundred books of all time that I had seen in a newspaper. This undertaking made me likely one of the best-read nineteen-year-olds in the world. Two books, in particular, stood out: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, a comedy about living in the moment, and Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. Atlas Shrugged is about a lot of things, but to put it most simply, it tells the story of a few visionary innovators on a quest to be great people and to produce a great product. There’s Dagny Taggart, the professional woman in her early thirties who keeps her family’s railroad empire running (despite her brother’s incompetence). There’s Dagny’s love interest, industrialist Hank Rearden, who invents a new metal alloy stronger than steel, and who must overcome the schemes of politicians and relatives who, unable to create greatness of their own, suck the life out of Hank. Then there’s John Galt, the mysterious engineer and philosopher who remains mostly unidentified through much of the story. The question, “Who is John Galt?” is a major recurring recurring theme in Atlas Shrugged and is a phrase that has since become a cultural touchstone of its own. Atlas Shrugged was my first major introduction to the idea of elevating the world from mediocrity to greatness through individual creativity, dedication, and vision. I did not understand then what kind of a theme this would be for me in the years to come. Atlas Shrugged also brought into focus the many inefficiencies of the unionized labour system. I had a union job on the pipeline—which was exactly why I had so much time to read. But there were times in Alaska when I saw a simple task being performed by three people because the union required one guy to drive a machine, a different guy to flip a switch, and a third guy to make sure the machine didn’t run out of gas. There was no room for innovation or individuality. I saw socialism at its worst. I saw union bosses ensuring work was mediocre, so the company could hire more people, so the union could collect more dues. I saw an underside of lazy people who would rather strike than work. People who wanted others to create, invent, and risk and still pay the union workers untold amounts for mediocre work. Wilson, Chip. Little Black Stretchy Pants (p. 51). Time is Tight Communications Ltd. Kindle Edition. Wilson, Chip. Little Black Stretchy Pants (pp. 50-51). Time is Tight Communications Ltd. Kindle Edition. Wilson, Chip. Little Black Stretchy Pants (p. 50). Time is Tight Communications Ltd. Kindle Edition. Wilson, Chip. Little Black Stretchy Pants (p. 50). Time is Tight Communications Ltd. Kindle Edition. ”
