Forms of appeal

The dominant forms of appeal in Paul Fairfield’s podcast “The Importance of Reading Books” are ethos and pathos. 

Ethos 

Ethos is used at the beginning of the podcast, when Fairfield suggests that he is a knowledgeable person because he read a lot of books in his youth: “School didn’t inspire me, but those books did. They lit a fire in a teenager that would grow for decades.” (ll. 6-7). Fairfield also tries to make himself appear passionate and committed, such as when he mentions getting up early to read (ll. 8-9). While some people with similar experiences might identify with Fairfield, his claims could also put others off, since he might sound too boastful.

Fairfield also borrows ethos when he presents various expert testimonies. For instance, he shows how Nicholas Carr, an American writer, looks at the issue of reading books: “Th...