Most of us do not take much note when February 2 passes—and if we do, it’s just in reference to Groundhog Day. But February 2nd marks something much more important than a mythical, weather-forecasting rodent. It is the birthday of the late, great author and philosopher Ayn Rand, the woman who gave us “Atlas Shrugged” (1957), one of the most influential works of the 20th century.

This was an exclusive article written for Fox News Opinion.

IRVINE, CA–A recent Zogby national online survey indicates that 29 percent of the 2,100 adult respondents have read Ayn Rand’s novel “Atlas Shrugged.”

Of those who read the book, 49 percent agreed that “Atlas Shrugged” changed the way they think about political or ethical issues, versus 45 percent who disagreed.

And 51 percent of those who read the book said they were between 18 and 29 years old when they first read the novel, while 22 percent were between 12 and 17 years of age and 20 percent were aged 30 to 49.

When asked why they chose to read “Atlas Shrugged,” 38 percent of respondents in the online survey said it was recommended by a friend or colleague, 21 percent had it assigned or recommended in school, 11 percent read or heard about it in a print/Internet article or radio/TV program, 8 percent saw it in a library, and 7 percent noticed it in a bookstore or on a Web book sales site.

The survey also indicates that 21 percent of respondents have read Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead”; 7 percent, “Anthem”; 4 percent, “We the Living;” 3 percent, “The Virtue of Selfishness; and 3 percent “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal.”

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IRVINE, CA–High school sophomore Anne Fosburg, from Park City, Utah, is the winner of the Ayn Rand Institute’s annual “Anthem” essay contest, for which she received a prize of $2,000. Ms. Fosburg is a student at Treasure Mountain International School.

Since 1985 more than 255,000 students from around the world have entered ARI’s essay contests. This year more than 16,000 students submitted their essays to the “Anthem” contest.

ARI also awarded 5 second prizes ($500), 10 third prizes ($200), 45 finalist ($50) and 175 semifinalist ($30) prizes. A complete list of winners and information about next year’s competition can be found at www.aynrandnovels.com/contests.

First published in 1938, Ayn Rand’s novella “Anthem” depicts a collectivist dictatorship in a future in which the word “I” has vanished, and how a lone dissident discovers the lost word’s true meaning.

Open to 8th-, 9th- and 10th-graders, the “Anthem” essay contest requires contestants to write on one of several topics dealing with the characters and themes in the book. The contest is designed to promote critical thinking and writing skills. Essays are judged on both style and content.

Each year ARI offers five separate contests (“Anthem,” “The Fountainhead,” “We the Living,” “Atlas Shrugged,” and the Former Participants contest) and awards more than $97,000 in prizes.

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Ayn Rand Institute president Yaron Brook applauded the milestone, noting that Ayn Rand’s popularity is well-deserved. “No other author has such a powerful and compelling message that is so accessible to so many readers. Ayn Rand addresses fundamental questions that affect each of our lives, and she offers engaging, real-world answers to those questions.”

The Ayn Rand page is operated by the Ayn Rand Institute.

In the years leading up to 2008–09′s financial meltdown, government control over mortgages, interest rates and America’s banking system was at an all-time high. And yet when crisis struck, free enterprise took the blame.

This was an exclusive article written for Investor’s Business Daily.

Atlas Shrugged is now on the shelves of 1,100 Target stores, demonstrating impressive marketability for a 53-year-old novel. And a segment of a recent Glenn Beck program dedicated to the novel has seen the book leap up the Amazon bestseller list. It is currently ranked in the top 20.

Atlas Shrugged is a compelling mystery, but it is also a story with a profound and original philosophy that provides answers to the problems we’re facing in our world right now. Many people feel inspired after reading the novel, and that is a major reason why the book is still in such high demand.

Beck and Brook discussed the parallels between events in Atlas Shrugged and events perpetrated by our government today. In one segment, Beck put the names of three legislative bills on the blackboard and asked his audience to guess which one was real and which two were from Atlas Shrugged.

Dr. Brook explained that the role of fundamental philosophical ideas is crucial to understanding how we got where we are today in America. He singled out multiculturalism and subjectivism as two main ideas being taught in our schools that paralyze our student’s ability to think properly and integrate ideas.

Atlas Shrugged, which was ranked 74 on Amazon’s bestseller list as of the program’s airing, has jumped as high as number 11 since the Beck show aired, and is currently ranked 22. “Pretty amazing for a 53-year-old novel,” Brook said.

“The explosion in sales of ‘Atlas Shrugged’ more than a half century after its initial publication is truly remarkable,” said Dr. Yaron Brook, president of the Ayn Rand Institute. “Annual sales of ‘Atlas Shrugged’ have been increasing for decades to a level never seen in Ayn Rand’s lifetime.

“People are discovering the prescience of Ayn Rand’s writing. They’re seeing the policies of ‘Atlas Shrugged’ villains Wesley Mouch and Cuffy Meigs acted out by our government officials today. They’re looking for answers on how to stop government intrusion in our lives. ‘Atlas Shrugged’ provides those answers, and many more.”

First published in 1957, Atlas Shrugged continues to draw media attention, including a recent episode of “Stossel” on Fox Business Network dedicated to the novel. More than 7,000,000 copies of Atlas Shrugged have been sold since it was first published.

The program will air at 8 p.m. ET and feature interviews with leading Objectivist intellectuals including Dr. Yaron Brook, president of the Ayn Rand Center.

The year 2009 was unprecedented in media attentionof Atlas Shrugged and the book sold a record number of copies.

With prominent national media figures like John Stossel taking an interest in Atlas Shrugged, it looks like the momentum from 2009 will carry on into the New Year.

The Ayn Rand Institute announced a new record in submissions for its annual Atlas Shrugged essay contest. ARI received more than 4,000 entries this year, more than twice as many as last year’s record.

ARI credits the surge in essay contest submissions to the recent boom in Atlas Shrugged sales, along with the continued growth of ARI’s free books to teachers program. The ARI essay contest is part of a larger educational program that encourages high school and college educators to use the book in their classrooms.  ARI has given teachers more than a hundred thousand copies of “Atlas Shrugged” in the last two years.

Open to 12th graders and both graduate- and undergraduate-level college students, the Atlas Shrugged essay contest requires contestants to write on one of several topics dealing with characters and themes in the novel. The contest is designed to promote critical thinking and writing skills. Essays are judged on both style and content. The top prize awarded to the contest winner is $10,000, with multiple semifinalist and finalist awards ranging from $50 to $2,000.