Book · 1976 · English language
On Writing Well
- mentions
- 5
- people
- 4
- podcasts
- 3
- episodes
- 5
- recommendations
- 4
And the book that's been most influential in my entire life there was called On Writing or is called On Writing Well by William Zinsser. Uh, writing to me is not just something for communication.
The best things said about it
So, anything that will improve written comms, there are many books on this, certainly on writing well by Zinsser.
Tim Ferriss The Tim Ferriss Show · Jul 2026 Where and when it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
4 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
William Zinsser's On Writing Well is a widely acclaimed classic guide to non-fiction writing that emphasizes clarity, simplicity, and the removal of clutter from prose. On The Tim Ferriss Show, Tim Ferriss recommended the book as an invaluable resource for improving written communication and later listed it among his most influential reads. Fareed Zakaria also recommended the work on How I Write, expressing his preference for Zinsser's guidance when learning to write persuasively. Matt Mullenweg highlighted the book on The Tim Ferriss Show, declaring it the single most influential book on writing in his entire life and noting that writing serves a purpose far beyond mere communication. Additionally, Jimmy Soni mentioned Zinsser's book on How I Write while exploring the nuance of word choice, warmth, and the idea that much of reading happens inherently in the ear of the recipient. Across multiple platforms, successful writers and podcasters frequently cite this enduring manual as a foundational tool for anyone seeking to master the craft of clear, effective, and impactful written communication.
Every mention
Tim Ferriss So, anything that will improve written comms, there are many books on this, certainly on writing well by Zi… 2
“So, anything that will improve written comms, there are many books on this, certainly on writing well by Zinsser.”
“I think it's On Writing Well or something like that. It's by William Zinsser.”
Fareed Zakaria Some of them are useful like if you look at white and I actually prefer there's guy William Zim Zim called… 1
“Some of them are useful like if you look at white and I actually prefer there's guy William Zim Zim called on writing which I think is is better.”
Matt Mullenweg And the book that's been most influential in my entire life there was called On Writing or is called On Wri… 1
“And the book that's been most influential in my entire life there was called On Writing or is called On Writing Well by William Zinsser. Uh, writing to me is not just something for communication.”
Jimmy Soni So, writes about something like how how the word soft has a feel to it. Like soft, right? Is is different t… 1
“So, writes about something like how how the word soft has a feel to it. Like soft, right? Is is different than smooth, right? Like like Yeah. Yeah, a lot of reading happens in the ear, right? And so, we I I I'm often thinking about warmth as like the quality of Like what does it mean when somebody sees”