The Fountainhead
A good read that I will never forget is The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (buy on Amazon). The main character in the book is Howard Roark, a young brilliant architect who designed buildings and did things in ways that had never been done before.
Howard thought well into the future with the things that he did, and most everyone around him mocked him for what he did. It was as if they were trying to ruin him.
Throughout the book other characters, who were themselves unable to create anything that was near the masterpieces that Roark was able to create, tried to do everything they could do to make him fail. They criticized him as a man as well as the work that he did his best to create.
Howard did succeed in the end, and through him succeeding others actually went insane. One of the people who did their best to make him fail ended up going insane upon realizing that they couldn't tear Howard down.
Through this book I've learned that there are people who create, like Howard. They can create the masterpieces of this world, things that have never been done before. Others around will do everything they can to make creators fail.
As a creator, others will always mock what you do. They may try to tear the things that you do down, make fun of you, and you'll feel like they hope you fail. But, never give up. Keep creating. In time they will learn to respect you, or find that they can't ruin you. Choose to create, to start things, to be yourself, no matter how much others mock.
Other books by Ayn Rand: Anthem, We the Living, Atlas Shrugged
I can note that Ayn has a different fundamental believe than I (she's not a Christian). While her writing makes a wonderful point, I do not agree with her fundamental values.
