A phenominal little book whose connective analytical thread goes beyond the psychology of mass movements to speak volumes about the human condition.

Written in a clear, articulate and totally original voice, Hoffer offers perceptive and prescient insight on the elements common to all mass movements, be they nationalist, religious or revolutionary in nature. Rather than evaluating the substantive content or relative logical coherence of particular dogmas, he adopts a unique structuralist approach. Focussing on the appeal of mass movements (particularly in their revivalist or chileastic phase) and the personality types most prone to become doctrinaire converts, Hoffer contends that regarless of sociopolitical orientation, the psychological forces in play are the same.

Hoffer's ideas are both pithy and profound. And given this book was first published in 1951, surprisingly durable, as they can be applied to a wide range of current issues and events. Whether it's the colonizing powers of the West, the devastation caused by nationalistic fervor in the former Yugoslavia, the intransigence of totalitarian regimes the world over, the growth of Christian and Muslim fundamentalism, religious cults, or yet another look at student activism in the 60s, this book will shed new light on contributing factors. ( )

This is the most enlightening book on the nature of man and society I've read.The ideas and concepts contained here haveshaped my examination and understanding of the world daily for 25 years. Hoffer's insights are profound. Some favorite quotes from this book are:

"A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people's business."

"Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life. Thus people haunted by the purposelessness of their lives try to find a new content only by dedicating themselves to a holy cause but also by nursing a fanatical grievance. A mass movement offers them unlimited opportunities for both."

"Craving, not having, is the mother of a reckless giving of oneself."

"The inert mass of a nation...is in its middle section. The decent, average people who do the nation's work in cities and on the land are worked upon and shaped by minorities at both ends--the best and the worst." ( )

Hoffer argues here that the motivations for mass movements are interchangeable: religious, nationalist and class-based movements tend to behave in the same way and use the same tactics, even when their stated goals or values are diametrically opposed. ( )

Incredible ideas that are reflected in today's politics and world scene remembering the old quote "history repeats itself" ( )

Eric Hoffer is the self-taught "working man's" philosopher and this is his brilliant analysis of mass movements. It is prescient in its insight into the psychology of the follower, the 'True Believer' who makes these movements possible. Written at a time before the effects of these movements would grow to beome (in the sixties) a blight upon the culture of humanity. This book is worth reading and rereading as a reminder that one should think for oneself. An important work for the bookshelf of any individualist. ( )