Episode · How I Write · 2026-01-21
Books mentioned on Fareed Zakaria: Learn to Write Persuasively in 70 Minutes | How I Write
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Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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In defense of a liberal education
In Defense of a Liberal Education by Fareed Zakaria is a compelling nonfiction book that argues for the vital importance of traditional curricula in the arts and sciences within modern society.
Discussed“as you think about writing your books, Post-American World, The Case for Liberal Education, how does that kind of get into orbit?”
Where to get it
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The Post-American World
Discussed“as you think about writing your books, Post-American World, The Case for Liberal Education, how does that kind of get into orbit?”
Where to get it
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Man, the State, and War
Man, the State, and War is a foundational political science text by Kenneth N.
Recommended“Kenneth Waltz wrote a book about international relations called Man the State and War. He wrote two books man the state and war and theory of international relations which I both read at least three times.”
Where to get it
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Theory of International Politics
Theory of International Politics is a seminal work by Kenneth Neal Waltz that establishes structural realism, commonly known as neorealism, as a dominant framework for analyzing global politics by emphasizing the anarchic structure of the international system.
Recommended“Kenneth Waltz wrote a book about international relations called Man the State and War. He wrote two books man the state and war and theory of international relations which I both read at least three times.”
Where to get it
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1688
Discussed“even for this last book age of revolutions the to me the most interesting book that I was reading historically was a book by Steven Pinkis on the glorious revolution in England called 1688 which is the year of the glorious revolution I I read it twice it is a 700page as I recall dense academic book”
Where to get it
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The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby by F.
Discussed“I just did a a podcast about you know my favorite book and it was the Great Gatsby.”
Where to get it
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A preface to morals
A Preface to Morals by Walter Lippmann is a classic philosophical work written during the Jazz Age of the 1920s that examines the spiritual and psychological crisis of modern secular society.
Recommended“that book a preface to morals. Preface tomorrow is a amazing book written in the 20s during the jazz age and it's about what do you the central dilemma he said in the modern world is that we have lost the certainty of faith of tradition of community”
Where to get it
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Walter Lippmann and the American Century
Walter Lippmann and the American Century is a comprehensive biography by Ronald Steel that examines the life, career, and intellectual evolution of one of America's most influential journalists and political commentators.
Recommended“there's a wonderful biography of his by a guy named Ronald Steel. It's called Walter Lipman and the American Century and it's a great intellectual history of America”
Where to get it
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Enthusiasms
Discussed“He once wrote a a book called Enthusiasms and it was just a collection of all the things he's super enthusiastic about.”
Where to get it
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Train to Pakistan
Discussed“He was a novelist initially. Wrote what is still the best novel about the the partition of India. You know, India Pakistan called Train to Pakistan.”
Where to get it
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On Writing Well
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.
Recommended“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.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“which we then later learned through JD Vance's hillbilly but it's that it's that power of just going there and talking to people.”