How Paul Fairfield argues for his views

One of your exam questions asks you to focus on how Paul Fairfield argues for his views in the podcast “The Importance of Reading Books”. 

This is a very broad topic, which has some relation to the other points we have already covered in this study guide, such as rhetorical devices and forms of appeal. 

Fairfield relies on both personal anecdotes and scientific arguments to support his view of the benefits of reading

When discussing the benefits of reading, Fairfield combines several types of arguments. He starts out by presenting a personal anecdote of the benefits and joys he has received from reading (i.e., Ll. 4-7), but then supports his case further by introducing scientific arguments about the way reading affects the mind (ll. 15-20).

This dual approach is effective because the personal stories might help make Fairfield’s claims more relatable to listeners, while t...