The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass MovementsA 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.--From publisher description. |
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action and self-sacrifice active mass movement active phase Angelica Balabanoff army attitude autonomous individual Bolshevik Bolshevik revolution Carlton J. H. Hayes Christianity church coercion collective body communal Communist compact corporate craving creative desire doctrine effective enemy enthusiasm Ernest Renan eternal faith fanatical fanaticism feel fervent foreign freedom French Revolution frustrated future G. P. Putnam's Sons Germans Godfearing grievance hand hate hatred Hermann Rauschning Hitler holy cause hope I. A. R. Wylie ideal imitation individual existence intellectual J. B. S. Haldane Japanese Jews join lives mass move ment mind misfits modern nation nationalist nationalist movement Nazi party passion pattern perhaps poor potential preached present propaganda proselytizing readiness for self-sacrifice realize Reformation religion religious movement Renan revolution revolutionary rising mass movement role Russia ruthless Section seems sense social Socialist Stalin successful things tion true believer truth unified united action unity usually words York Zionism