Eric Hoffer

Eric Hoffer was born in the Bronx, NYC, in 1902. After his mother fell down a flight of stairs with him in her arms, Hoffer lost his eyesight at age seven. His eyesight returned at age 15, and Hoffer seized on the opportunity to read as much as he could. As a young man, Hoffer worked as a migrant worker, gold prospector, and longshoreman, not getting serious about writing until age 40. In 1951, his first book, The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements, was published and soon recognized as a classic. Hoffer went on to author nine other books, including The Ordeal of Change (1963). Hoffer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983; he died later that year.