Public Speaking Books Review

Hi folks.

Listen. There are a lot of public speaking books out there. But I’m going to get down to it and tell you about two of my favorites that are really worth your time, and which made a great supplement to my other public speaking training. Now, these are not the be-all end-all of useful books out there, but they are solid resources that will help instruct you on how to develop key communication skills essential to effective business presentations and social speaking engagements alike. Most importantly, they are great at helping you to dig in and build your inner confidence, which is the foundation for all the finer speaking skills and techniques you may develop later on.

The first book is called The Confident Speaker, by Harrison Monarth and Larina Kase, and is one of the most popular public speaking books of its kind to come out in the last few years. The authors clearly know the territory around speech anxiety and what it takes to break through it. In particular, the second chapter exposes a number of speaking “myths” (I know I certainly believed in a few of them) which play a key role in either reinforcing or dissolving your anxiety about speaking. The latter part of the book then focuses on specific strategies and tools you can use to overcome public speaking fears and really connect with your audience. It also covers how to handle impromptu speaking and spontaneous social interactions with confidence. This book does not go into the kind of detail that a seasoned speaker might be interested in. Rather it is intended as a guide for less experienced presenters to overcome fear and build confidence in speaking situations. And it does a very good job at it.

The second book I want to suggest was originally published decades ago, but is as relevant today as it ever was. The author, Dale Carnegie, was a world renowned public speaking coach and leadership expert, and his classic Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking captures the essence of his vast wisdom in a concise, easy read. Every chapter of this one is real gold, both for the beginning and the advanced speaker. Particularly valuable are his techniques for bringing more vitality to your presentations, as well as his insights on persuasive speaking and how to make your listeners take action. Highly recommended.

In my next post, I am going to share a little more about my journey going from a phobic speaking novice to a fearless presenter, and another resource that really helped me get there.

Ryan