Reading Atlas Shrugged was life-changing for me. Completely life-changing. I would recommend reading the first 600 pages or so. Really, once you get to John Galt's big speech, you've covered everything the story has to impart. The speech is way too long, way too redundant, and throws off the flow of the book. Read up to that part, glance through a little bit of the speech, and skip to the final pages if you really need resolution or closure on the character arcs. I didn't need it.

I don't know why people have such an aversion to this book. I don't think it's garbage. I could never understand how the notion of meritocracy as a benefit to society is viewed as dangerous.

Another good one in a similar vein is All the Kings Men (Robert Penn Warren, I think), which is also a good read. Much shorter and also very enlightening.

I wasn't particularly impressed with Anthem and wouldn't recommend. For a similar theme, I would recommend This Perfect Day (That Perfect Day) by Ira Levin of Rosemary's Baby fame. I read that before Anthem and thought it was much more effective and utterly terrifying.