Popular Public Speaking Books and Gear

When I’m looking for books to read, the only thing more convincing than a single recommendation from a colleague or friend is multiple recommendations for the same book from colleagues and friends.

Earlier, we published book testimonials from individual Six Minutes readers.

In this article, we list the most popular public speaking books and gear being read by the Six Minutes community — people just like you with an avid interest in speaking effectively.

Where Do These Lists Come From?

We get a sneak peak into what Six Minutes readers buy when they click on one of our links to the Amazon store. We do not get specific info on who is buying what — only aggregate information about what is being purchased.

This information gives a good indication of what is popular. We value your opinion of what is worth reading. Indeed, several of the book review choices (including the book review posted last week) were strongly influenced by which books you were buying!

You may be interested to know that when you make a purchase at Amazon after clicking on one of these links, we get a small commission. This helps us to keep Six Minutes free and continue to improve it with the articles you want. Thank you for your support in this way.

Popular PowerPoint and Visual Design Books

These are the most popular books which help you design better visuals, whether you use PowerPoint, Keynote, flip charts, or napkins as your visual tool.

1. slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations by Nancy Duarte [read our book review]
2. Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery by Garr Reynolds [read our book review]
3. Clear and to the Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations by Stephen Kosslyn [read our book review]
4. The Back of the Napkin by Dan Roam
5. Beyond Bullet Points by Cliff Atkinson
6. 7-Slide Solution by Paul J. Kelly
7. Multimedia Learning by Richard E. Mayer [read our book review]

Popular Speechwriting and Storytelling Books

These are the most popular public speaking books which focus on audience analysis, determining your message, and selecting the best words, phrases, anecdotes, evidence, and stories.

1. Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History’s Greatest Speakers by James C. Humes [read our book review]
2. The Story Factor by Annette Simmons [read our book review]
3. The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write One–How to Deliver It by Richard Dowis
4. Advanced Presentations by Design: Creating Communication that Drives Action by Andrew Abela [read our book review]
5. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
6. Writing Great Speeches: Professional Techniques You Can Use by Alan Perlman
7. The Leader’s Guide to Storytelling by Stephen Denning

Popular Public Speaking Books

These are the most popular public speaking books which have a broad focus and cover many aspects of effective communication.

1. The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie [read our book review]
2. You’ve Got to Be Believed to Be Heard by Bert Decker [read our book review]
3. On Speaking Well by Peggy Noonan
4. Fire Them Up! by Carmine Gallo [read our book review]
5. 10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking by Lenny Laskowski
6. Presenting to Win by Jerry Weissman
7. The Power Presenter by Jerry Weissman

Popular Public Speaking Gear and Gadgets

This diverse collection of gadgets are the most popular speaking tools being purchased by Six Minutes readers.

1. Kensington 33374 Wireless Presenter with Laser Pointer
2. 3M Plain Paper Copier Transparency Film
3. Logitech 2.4 GHz Cordless Presenter
4. Olympus WS-331M Digital Voice Recorder
5. EXPO Vis-à-Vis Wet-Erase Overhead Projection Marker Set
6. EXPO Dry Erase Marker Organizer, Chisel Tip, Set
7. Keyspan Presentation Remote Pro

Which Books Are You Reading?

Please drop a note in the article comments to share your favorite book with other Six Minutes readers.