Author Information

Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983) was self-taught. He worked in restaurants, as a migrant worker in agriculture, and as a gold miner. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he worked as a longshoreman in San Francisco for twenty-five years. The author of more than ten books, including "The Passionate State of Mind," "The Ordeal of Change," and "The Temper of Our Time," he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983.

Back Cover

As a longshoreman at the docks of San Francisco in the 1940s, Eric Hoffer wrote philosophical essays in his spare time while living in the depots. "The True Believer," his first and most famous book, became a bestseller when President Eisenhower mentioned it during one of the earliest televised press conferences. Completely relevant and essential for understanding today's world.