Like his other works, Malcolm Gladwell's collection of essays are interesting and insightful. The facts are out there, but Gladwell rummages through tLike his other works, Malcolm Gladwell's collection of essays are interesting and insightful. The facts are out there, but Gladwell rummages through them and summarizes the findings so the reader would only have to research what he/she finds fascinating. ...more
Eric Hoffer wrote in the 1940s about the mass movements such as the rise of the Bolshevists, the Fascists and the Nazis, but he seemed to be describinEric Hoffer wrote in the 1940s about the mass movements such as the rise of the Bolshevists, the Fascists and the Nazis, but he seemed to be describing the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the Arab Spring, and the current populist movements such as Brexit. We may say that he was a prophet, but more accurately, he had isolated the ingredients that make up mass movements.
[image] Demonstration in Tunisia
He understood that mixing discontent for the present and hope for the future breeds a desire for change. He understood that a person plunges into a mass movement to dissolve his/her hated self and to replace it with a grand and almost immortal collective self. He understood the psychology of those who would tend to become followers, as well as those who would seize the chance to lead the movements. He discovered the phases of mass movements and the types of individuals who would lead, from the intellectuals to the fanatics to the pragmatists. He discovered self-sacrifice and unifying actions as the key ingredients to sustaining and advancing mass movements.
[image] BREXIT
Hoffer’s The True Believer is required reading for our age, when populist movements dominate the global arena. It will give us insights into the who, what and how of these mass movements, insights that would help us navigate through our times....more
This book is as applicable today as when it was written. Cornel West analyzes the problem with race relationship in America and offers suggestions. A This book is as applicable today as when it was written. Cornel West analyzes the problem with race relationship in America and offers suggestions. A great for anyone who wants to understand the challenges facing race relations and to seek a path toward the future....more
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