The True Believer
About this book
A Classic on social psychology first published in 1951, it discusses the psychological causes of fanaticism. President Dwight Eisenhower read the book in 1952, and gave copies to friends and highly recommended the book to others. In fact, "Look Magazine" went so far as writing in a 1956 issue that Hoffer was Ike's favorite author. The book examines the motives of the various types of personalities that give rise to mass movements; why and how mass movements start, progress and end; and the similarities between them, whether religious, political, radical or reactionary, refering to Communism, Fascism, National Socialism (Nazi), Christianity, Protestantism, and Islam throughout the text. In analyzing these mass movements, Hoffer believes that they are all interchangeable, that adherents will often flip from one movement to another, and that the motivations for mass movements are interchangeable; that religious, nationalist and social movements, whether radical or reactionary, tend to attract the same type of followers, behave in the same way and use the same tactics, even when their stated goals or values differed. An excellent, thought-provoking book. Highly recommended (by IKe) and us also.