To be clear, I liked many other parts of that book, and others, as well, but that section was the standout.
What else did I read back in the day? The Fountainhead, Anthem, We the Living (really liked that one), don't remember what else.
(I caught the last ten minutes of The Fountainhead on TCM last night prior to watching Hud - which believe it or not, I had never seen before. Enjoyed that very much. I would have carried on with A Face in the Crowd, if sleep didn't matter. But it did, and I own that one anyway.)