Most Popular Books by Eric Hoffer

“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.

Essays and aphorisms of America''s longshoreman philosopher, including "The true believer, " and selections from his diaries.

"The late American longshoreman-philosopher, recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, recounts his extraordinary life and thoughts in this autobiographical memoir." -- Amazon.com viewed April 26, 2021.

A collection of sixteen essays contributing to "our understanding of ourselves and our age"--Page 4 of cover

This collection of aphorisms and philosophical comment represents Eric Hoffer at his best. It offers stunning insights that strike home with startling frequency, often most uncomfortably; it has a fine unity, a well-defined theme. That some of the statements invite argument and questioning is inevitable and stimulating. Here is a book of the "wry epigram and the icy aphorism" which made his earlier books so appealing and gained for him a wide audience.--Publisher description.

Critical commentary on conditions in present day society, challenging current beliefs on aspirations of the militant young and other minority groups.

Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) fue un intelectual americano que trabajó como estibador en el puerto de San Francisco durante veinticinco años. Autor de varios libros y docenas de artículos, su primer libro El verdadero creyente fue un éxito espectacular que le hizo famoso y le proporcionó reconocimiento público, hasta el punto de recibir la Medalla Presidencial de la Libertad en 1983. El Verdadero Creyente (1951) explica la naturaleza de los movimientos de masas y la dinámica personal de sus militantes. La edición de esta obra entre nosotros aparece en un momento social y cultural que proporciona especial significado a su pensamiento. El fanatismo nunca de¬saparece, pero a veces se disfraza de progreso y modernidad, de conocimiento verdadero y voluntad de creer, hasta que el verdadero creyente vuelve a enseñar sus afilados dientes y una vez más nos coge de sorpresa. Por eso necesitamos reconocerlo, antes y ahora, y Hoffer es una ayuda inestimable para espabilar nuestra conciencia y refrescar nuestra memoria sobre la multiplicidad de formas que adopta el fanatismo, incluidas las del momento actual.

Dedicare la propria vita a una causa che si considera sacra, seguirla ciecamente, opprimere o convertire gli altri in suo nome, subordinare ogni idea e ogni affetto alla sua realizzazione, essere pronti a morire per essa. È questo, indipendentemente dalla dottrina o dall''ideologia che sceglie, il semplice credo del fanatico, protagonista di questo saggio e della nostra epoca. Eric Hoffer, nel "Vero credente" riflette sulle cause e sul funzionamento dei movimenti di massa, siano essi religiosi, apertamente politici o più genericamente d''opinione. Da questo approccio e dal nitore dell''argomentazione nasce l''attualità, si potrebbe dire l''urgenza, di questo libro, pubblicato nel 1951 e ora tradotto per la prima volta in Italia. Per Hoffer, pur distinti per contenuti e scopi, i movimenti condividono la medesima morfologia, sorgono nei periodi di crisi e disgregazione dell''ordine sociale, si basano sugli stessi agenti unificanti e, soprattutto, si nutrono dalla stessa radice, quella della frustrazione che nasce dall''insoddisfazione verso se stessi e le proprie risorse. Il frustrato accoglie allora l''invito verso una terra promessa, reale o ideale, e verso il miraggio di una vita diversa, nell''osservanza assoluta di una logica esterna che lo distolga dal proprio fallimento e dalla propria paura. L''intento è quello di rivolgersi al più ampio numero di lettori possibile, ed esso ben rappresenta sia la sua idea di lavoro culturale che la misura del valore di questo libro.

قالت (وول ستريت جورنال): «إذا أردتَ معلوماتٍ صحيحة مختصرة عن الدوافع التي تعمل في عقول المتعصبين وعن آليات الحركات الجماهيرية في أشد مستوياتها البدائية فأقترح عليك أن تقرأ هذا الكتاب». - بينما كان إريك هوفر يعمل على أرصفة تحميل السفن وتفريغها في سان فرانسيسكو في الأربعينيات من القرن الماضي كان يشغل وقت فراغه في كتابة البحوث الفلسفية، وهذا الكتاب (المؤمن الصادق) هو أول كتبه وأهمها، وقد قفز إلى قائمة أفضل الكتب مبيعاً، عندما استشهد به الرئيس أيزنهاور في إحدى ندواته التلفزيونية. إن الكتاب لا يزال منسجماً تمام الانسجام مع ظروف العالم اليوم، وهو وضروري لفهم مجريات الأحداث فيه؛ إذ يقدم صورة مثيرة للعقل المتعصب، ودراسة عميقة للطريقة التي يتحول بها الإنسان ليصبح متطرفاً. العبيكان للنشر

Eric Hoffer¿one of America¿s most important thinkers and the author of The True Believer¿was at the height of his popularity in the late 1960s when he wrote a weekly news column that appeared in hundreds of papers across the country. Hoffer fearlessly delved into the issues of the day, seeking not only an understanding of but also a solution to contemporary problems. Sixty years later, many of these insights still hold true.

During the period covered by this diary the world was agitated. The United States was recovering from the recession of 1957 and the Soviets launched Sputnik.