Person
Every book Ward Farnsworth recommended on podcasts
Key facts
- Ward Farnsworth has recommended or discussed 5 books on podcasts, as of December 10, 2025.
- Ward Farnsworth has talked about books on 1 podcast, as of December 10, 2025.
- Those books came up in 2 episodes, as of December 10, 2025.
- The 3 books Ward Farnsworth has mentioned in the most episodes, as of December 10, 2025: Tom Jones, Book of Jeremiah and King James Bible OLD TESTAMENT-PCE.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Ward Farnsworth aired on December 10, 2025.
Updated
Ward Farnsworth appears on the How I Write podcast as a thoughtful writing professor and expert on rhetoric, classical literature, and historical prose. Through his podcast discussions, he demonstrates a profound appreciation for timeless texts, effective structural mechanics, and the stylistic simplicity that defines great writing. Farnsworth frequently cites foundational literary works and historical documents to illustrate rhetorical devices like chiasmus or to examine the origins of influential phrases. For instance, he brought up Henry Fielding's novel Tom Jones multiple times to provide clear examples of balanced, chiasmus-based sentence structures that demonstrate how a person can possess knowledge without formal schooling. When examining the mechanics of persuasive and memorable language, Farnsworth discussed the King James Bible, highlighting its tremendous simplicity and heavy reliance on Saxon words. In analyzing the stylistic influences behind historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, he identified borrowings and parallels within The Book of Job and the Book of Jeremiah, offering listeners a deep scholarly perspective on how great writers weave together earlier literary and spiritual traditions to craft enduring prose.
Books recommended by Ward Farnsworth
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Tom Jones
Tom Jones is a classic comedic novel by Henry Fielding that follows the misadventures of a foundling in 18th-century England.
Discussed“It's as possible for a man to know something without having been at school as it is to have been at school and to know nothing from this beautiful novel called Tom Jones by Henry Fielding.”
Where to get it
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Book of Jeremiah
Discussed“uh I think there's also a usage of that phrase in in Jeremiah but I think he he probably took it from job”
Where to get it
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King James Bible OLD TESTAMENT-PCE
Discussed“and the King James Bible is very famous for that For the tremendous Simplicity of the language”
Where to get it
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Sonnets
Sonnets is a renowned collection of poems by William Shakespeare exploring themes of love, beauty, mortality, and human emotion through traditional verse structures.
Discussed“I more or less OBS the King James Bible more or less obsessively that in shakes”
Where to get it
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The Book of Job
Discussed“that is a lifting from The Book of Job uh I think there's also a usage of that phrase in in Jeremiah”
Where to get it
Books Ward Farnsworth wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ward Farnsworth: 14 Ways To Make Your Writing Memorable | How I Write Classic Episode | How I Write | 2025-12-10 | 1 |
| Meet The Most Under-Rated Writing Professor in America (Ward Farnsworth) | How I Write | 2025-02-12 | 5 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“you know we only focused on three techniques and these books rhetoric and style classical English style classical English rhetoric they're part of a series”
“you know we only focused on three techniques and these books rhetoric and style classical English style classical English rhetoric they're part of a series”