Ward Farnsworth: 4 books

Farnsworth’s Classical English Rhetoric was the definitive guide to the use of rhetorical devices in English. It became a best-seller in its field, with over 20,000 copies in print. Here now is the natural sequel, Farnsworth’s Classical English Metaphor—the most entertaining and instructive book...

Restitution is the body of law concerned with taking away gains that someone has wrongfully obtained. The operator of a Ponzi scheme takes money from his victims by fraud and then invests it in stocks that rise in value. Or a company pays a shareholder excessive dividends or pays them to the wrong...

Masters of language can turn unassuming words into phrases that are convincing, effective, and memorably beautiful. Lincoln and Churchill had this power: having heard their words once, the reader or listener can scarcely imagine the world without them. What are the secrets of this alchemy? The answer...

Stoicism is the most helpful and practical philosophy ever devised. Its intention is to help people find happiness by thinking differently about their lives and their problems. The advice the Stoics provided centuries ago is still the best anyone has offered, and it’s as useful today as it was then—or...