The True Believer

The famous bestseller with "concise insight into what drives the mind of the fanatic and the dynamics of a mass movement" (Wall St. Journal) by the legendary San Francisco longshoreman.

The True Believer is an insightful study of how an individual becomes a fanatic. Written by a self-educated San Francisco dockworker who produced philosophical treatises in his spare time, The True Believer became a bestseller when President Eisenhower cited it during one of the first television press conferences. This small manual on the nature of fanaticism is an invaluable guide to understanding zealotry and mass movements, and is as relevant today as it was when it was first published six decades ago. Eric Hoffer was born in 1902. He was a manual laborer, working at a variety of jobs throughout the twenties and thirties before moving to San Francisco in 1941 to ''help with the war'' as a longshoreman. He remained at this job for twenty five years while spending his free time reading and writing books. He is the author of more than ten books, including The True Believer, The Passionate State of Mind, The Ordeal of Change, and The Temper of our Time. Hoffer died in 1983, the same year that he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ''The True Believer glitters with icy wit ... bristles with deadly parallels ... It is a harsh and potent mental tonic.''-New York Times

“This brilliant and original inquiry into the nature of mass movements is a genuine contribution to our social thought.”

Auteur

Eric Hoffer (1902 -- 1983) was self-educated. He worked in restaurants, as a migrant fieldworker, and as a gold prospector. After Pearl Harbor, he worked as a longshoreman in San Francisco for twenty-five years. The author of more than ten books, including The Passionate State of Mind, The Ordeal of Change, and The Temper of Our Time, Eric Hoffer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983.

Texte du rabat
A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, Eric Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. The True Believer -- the first and most famous of his books -- was made into a bestseller when President Eisenhower cited it during one of the earliest television press conferences.Completely relevant and essential for understanding the world today, The True Believer is a visionary, highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic and a penetrating study of how an individual becomes one.

Résumé

“Its theme is political fanaticism, with which it deals severely and brilliantly.” —New Yorker

The famous bestseller with “concise insight into what drives the mind of the fanatic and the dynamics of a mass movement” (Wall Street Journal) by the legendary San Francisco longshoreman.

A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, Eric Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. The True Believer—the first and most famous of his books—was made into a bestseller when President Eisenhower cited it during one of the earliest television press conferences.

Called a “brilliant and original inquiry” and “a genuine contribution to our social thought” by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., this landmark in the field of social psychology is completely relevant and essential for understanding the world today as it delivers a visionary, highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic and a penetrating study of how an individual becomes one.