{"product_id":"the-true-believer-thoughts-on-the-nature-of-mass-movements-isbn-9780063566040","title":"The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“Its theme is political fanaticism, with which it deals severely and brilliantly.”—\u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA seventy-fifth anniversary edition of the enduring bestseller that offers “concise insight into what drives the mind of the fanatic and the dynamics of a mass movement” (\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal)\u003c\/i\u003e by the legendary public intellect and San Francisco longshoreman. \u003ci\u003eThe True Believer \u003c\/i\u003eremains essential for understanding our world today.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEric Hoffer had no formal education and worked as a manual laborer throughout his life. He was also an astute social observer with a keen political eye who wrote philosophical treatises while working as a stevedore on the San Francisco docks and living in the railroad yards in the 1940s. \u003ci\u003eThe True Believer\u003c\/i\u003e was the first and most famous of his books. Published in 1951, his treatise on the nature of fanaticism was seen as a parallel to Machiavelli’s The Prince.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt became a bestseller after President Dwight D. Eisenhower cited it during one of the earliest televised press conferences. A decade later, Hoffer was featured on public television in two one-hour conversations on CBS with legendary newsman Eric Severeid that led him to be recognized as a public philosopher in the mode of Joseph Campbell.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCalled a “brilliant and original inquiry” and “a genuine contribution to our social thought” by historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., \u003ci\u003eThe True Believer\u003c\/i\u003e was a landmark in the field of social psychology. Now three quarters of a century later, it’s as relevant as ever, providing a highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic, as well as a fascinating study into what drives mass movements like fascism and communism, offering insight and understanding into how they happen.\u003c\/p\u003e | 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. \u003cem\u003eThe True Believer\u003c\/em\u003e -- 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, \u003cem\u003eThe True Believer\u003c\/em\u003e is a visionary, highly provocative look into the mind of the fanatic and a penetrating study of how an individual becomes one. | \u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe True Believer\u003c\/em\u003e glitters with icy wit. . . bristles with deadly parallels. . . . It is a harsh and potent mental tonic.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Its theme is political fanaticism, with which it deals severely and brilliantly. . . . It owes its distinction to the fact that Hoffer is a born generalizer, with a mind that inclines to the wry epigram and icy aphorism as naturally as did that of the Duc de La Rochefoucauld.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHoffer's 1951 classic reads as even more incisive today. . . . It offers a timeless psychological study of the lure of the fanatic. Those hoping for insights into the success of Donald Trump's 'America First' politics could do worse than start here. - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEdward Luce, The Week (\"Edward Luce's 6 favorite books that predicted the future of politics\")\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“If you want concise insight into what drives the mind of the fanatic and the dynamics of a mass movement at their most primal level, may I suggest an evening with Eric Hoffer.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Its theme is political fanaticism, with which it deals severely and brilliantly. . . . It owes its distinction to the fact that Hoffer is a born generalizer, with a mind that inclines to the wry epigram and icy aphorism as naturally as did that of the Duc de La Rochefoucauld.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eThe True Believer\u003c\/em\u003e glitters with icy wit. . . bristles with deadly parallels. . . . It is a harsh and potent mental tonic.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial Modern Classics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48588070617317,"sku":"NP9780063566040","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-true-believer-thoughts-on-the-nature-of-mass-movements-isbn-9780063566040","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}