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Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

This might sound like one for the Politics and Religion section, but the author is not talking about the validity of anyone's religious or political views, but rather he examines the motivations behind people who display a fanatical devotion to a particular point of view, regardless of what that point of view may be. It has helped me immensely, as I by nature am a true believer myself. 196 pages in print.

The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer.

Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Sony Reader Store

Spoiler:

From Amazon:

“[Eric Hoffer] is a student of extraordinary perception and insight. The range of his reading and research is vast, amazing. [The True Believer is] one of the most provocative books of our immediate day.”—Christian Science Monitor

The famous bestseller with “concise insight into what drives the mind of the fanatic and the dynamics of a mass movement” (Wall St. Journal) by Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Eric Hoffer, The True Believer is a landmark in the field of social psychology, and even more relevant today than ever before in history. Called a “brilliant and original inquiry” and “a genuine contribution to our social thought” by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., The True Believer is mandatory reading for anyone interested in the machinations by which an individual becomes a fanatic.

I'll second True Believer.