The extensive work of the American writer of Russian origin was first published in 1943. More than half a century later, almost half a million American readers have ranked this book second on the list of the most important books of all time. Through the stories of eccentric individuals, the novel describes the struggle between two extremes: manipulative mediocrity, full of greed for wealth and fame, and brilliant creatives who are at least one step ahead of their time and insensitive to the temptations of the material world. The common thread of the novel, which depicts the story of New York in the thirties of the last century, is the young architect Howard Roark, the personification of inner peace and unwavering vision. He resists clichés and, despite being cruelly rejected by society several times in a row, is convinced of his rightness and his success. The author also offers the reader an unusual love story, incorporating the intrigues of hostile yellow journalism into it. As a result, the story has remained very relevant and beautifully readable even more than seventy years after its publication.