Eric Hoffer (July 25, 1898 – May 21, 1983) was an American
moral and social
philosopher. He was the author of ten books and was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983. His first book,
The True Believer (1951), was widely recognized as a classic, receiving critical acclaim from both
scholars and laymen, although Hoffer believed that
The Ordeal of Change was his finest work.