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The Passionate State of Mind by Eric Hoffer PDF

In this book Hoffer gives us a brilliant, provocative dissection of modern man under stress of emotion. Here is a mirror held up in which everyone must see himself, as he wishes to be and as he is - a creature moved by love, hate, fear, forever torn as the constant and unavoidable traffic between good and evil goes on. Eric Hoffer is not comfortable reading. Rather, he is a "harsh and potent mental tonic," to quote one critic, because he strips each of us of our favorite disguises and conceits. What he offers in return is increased self-awareness, "without which" - as he explains - "there can be neither sensitivity, self-cultivation, intellectual integrity, nor a genuine feeling for one's fellow men." The extraordinary perception and insight, the "wry epigram and icy aphorism," which made "The True Believer" so notable, are present also in "The Passionate State of Mind." It is exciting reading fare for those who can bear the burden of self-knowledge.

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