Social Reformer. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, he studied at Brandeis and graduated in 1959, later receiving a masters degree from Berkeley. In the 1960s Hoffman returned to Worcester to work as a psychologist in the state hospital. At about the same time he began his career in political activism with his work for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in the South. In 1966 Hoffman had turned to doing drugs and began the Yippie Movement. In 1974 he was to go to trial for possession of cocaine, but instead he changed his name to Barry Freed and underwent plastic surgery to avoid it. He moved to New York where he lived underground until 1980, when he decided to give himself up to authorities. Abbie Hoffman was sentenced to a work-release program from 1981 to 1982, returning to political activism shortly thereafter. In 1987 he was arrested for the 42nd time while protesting CIA recruitments at the University of Massachusetts with presidential daughter Amy Carter and 13 others. At a 1988 gathering of the Chicago Seven he proclaimed himself an American dissident. Hoffman died in April 1989, at his home in New Hope , Pennsylavania, later ruled a suicide. He was the subject of many books including, "Run Run Run: The Lives Of Abbie Hoffman," "Abbie Hoffman: American Rebel," "From The Hell Of It: The Life And Times Of Abbie Hoffman," "Live This Book: Abbie Hoffman's Philosophy For A Free Green America," and "Steal The Dream." He wrote the books, "Steal This Book," "Woodstock Nation: A Talk-Rock Album," "Revolution For The Hell Of It," "Soon To Be A Major Motion Picture" "Vote!," "Squaredancing In The Ice Age," "Preserving Disorder: The Faking Of The President 1988," and "Steal This Urine Test."