|
I didn't get it from reading one book, nor did I get it from one talk I had to give in front of a group. No miracles here, but solid advice based on experience and science that took me from introvert to confident in a rather short time period. I run my own business and felt that I lacked the confidence to really connect in a public setting with audiences. Practicing the guidelines and specific advice in this book in a variety of settings, however, gave me the confidence I needed to establish the connections I wanted to make.
I only realized that when I came back to give this review). I do recommend _In the Spotlight_, by Janet Esposito. Based on the rave reviews, I thought this would be a great book for my little collection, but the writing style is not engaging and the value of the content is limited. (Several of the reviewers seem to have a personal association with the authors. I second the opinion of the "Buyer's Remorse" review. I've been looking for some key books on presentation skills, and also specifically on dealing with public speaking anxiety. That book actually delivers.
As a result for me this book has been a disappointment especially since it had received so many rave reviews. While this book does have some value in that it discusses how to handle oneself before a presentation, there is not much at all in specific studies of individual or groups of speakers or of trainings handled by the authors. That was probably a mistake. The chapter headings and subtopics sound excellent on what material is to be covered but the text reads more like a report rather than specific, practical information that can be quickly put to use. With 15 reviews and nearly all of them 5 stars I expected to read a fantastic book with lots of excellent and specific information for improving my public speaking skills. I had figured that at least some of the reviews were suspect because the dates are so close together, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and purchased this book. This is very little specific information on how to handle situations.
Larina Kase via Dr. Dr.
They combine excellent examples with concretely helpful exercises with complete details.This book is 309 pages long and chock full of extremely practical advise and exercises which will enable everyone speaking to become a more confident speaker. Kase brings her combined PsyD and MBA perspective to assist corporate executives and managers as well as professional speakers to become great speakers.They provide a number of practical exercises on surfacing and identifying your fears and anxieties in public speaking, including to practice extensively.
Kase's own professional polish and poise in presenting at the workshop where I heard and met her impressed me so favorably in conjunction with what she said that I was confident her books would be superb.Harrison Monarth and Larina Kase bring together their varied professional speaking backgrounds to make "The Confident Speaker" a marvelous book full of practical as well as professional philosophic advise people can use in their professional and even a bit of their personal lives.Monarth brings a corporate sales professional perspective to the book while Dr. Crystal "appears" to be speaking extemporaneously and telling "spontaneous" jokes, while in fact, he, like all great actors, has so well-prepared and practiced that he made it look natural.
I had the pleasure of being introduced to New York Times best-selling author, Dr. Kevin Hogan in 2007 and knew I had to grab and digest her books on public speaking.
Their example from Billy Crystal's years on the televised Academy Awards show was excellent.
Thanks a million. My objective is to get my message across in any presentation and that's difficult enough whether you're afraid to speak in front of an audience or not. I enjoyed this book thoroughly even though nerves are rarely an issue for me. What I found incredibly valuable were all of the immediately applicable techniques and tools to become a more effective speaker. This book helped me understand what it takes to make my points fast and with clarity.
|
