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Featured Articles

Speech Analysis #1: How to Study and Critique a Speech

5 Speechwriting Lessons from Obama’s Inaugural Speech

How to Improve Your PowerPoint Slides with the Rule of Thirds

How to Use the Rule of Three in Your Speeches

Six Simple Techniques for Presenting Data: Hans Rosling (TED, 2006)

25 Public Speaking Skills Every Speaker Must Have

Public Speaking Blogs: The Definitive List

Speech Critiques

Majora Carter (TED, 2006)
Energy, Passion, Speaking Rate
Hans Rosling (TED, 2006)
6 Techniques to Present Data
J.A. Gamache (Toastmasters, 2007)
Gestures, Prop, Writing
Steve Jobs (Stanford, 2005)
Figures of speech, rule of three
Al Gore (TED, 2006)
Humor, audience interaction
Dick Hardt (OSCON, 2005)
Lessig Method of Presentation

Books We Recommend

Title: Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures
Author: Dan Roam
What is it About: Insightful and essential lessons for all communicators. Everyone can benefit by improving their visual thinking skills with the help of this book.
Who Should Read It: Smart people who want to improve their visual thinking skills.
Book Review: Read our book review

Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures

Title: Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer
Author: Roy Peter Clark
What is it About: Best book I've ever read about writing. Applicable to all genres: speech writing, fiction, non-fiction.
Who Should Read It: Everyone who writes, whether speeches, novels, or articles.
Book Review: Read our book review

Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer

Title: Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers
Author: James Humes
What is it About: 21 chapters averaging about 10 pages each. Each chapter introduces one simple speaking technique. Historical and contemporary examples are used throughout.
Who Should Read It: Speakers looking to elevate their speechwriting and delivery from good to great.
Book Review: Read our book review

Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of History's Greatest Speakers

Title: Boring to Bravo: Proven Presentation Techniques to Engage, Involve, and Inspire Your Audience to Action
Author: Kristin Arnold
What is it About: Non-stop gems for engaging your audience and keeping your presentations alive.
Who Should Read It: Speakers, trainers, facilitators, coaches, and managers.
Book Review: Read our book review

Boring to Bravo: Proven Presentation Techniques to Engage, Involve, and Inspire Your Audience to Action

Title: slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations
Author: Nancy Duarte
What is it About: The book on effective visual presentations from the expert whose design firm created the graphics for Al Gore's Oscar-winning film, An Inconvenient Truth.
Who Should Read It: Everyone who wants a classic reference text for presentation design. You'll read this again and again.
Book Review: Read our book review

slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations

Title: Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery
Author: Garr Reynolds
What is it About: Bestseller which teaches presentation design. Emphasizes designing around the message rather than designing around the slides. Includes numerous full-color examples of slides, both good and bad.
Who Should Read It: Every speaker, particularly those who want to break free from the "Death by Powerpoint" mold.
Book Review: Read our book review

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery

Title: The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking
Author: Dale Carnegie
What is it About: Practical and plain public speaking advice. Covers a wide breadth of topics. This book contains the foundation for the Dale Carnegie speaking courses which have been completed by millions of people.
Who Should Read It: Novice speakers or anyone whose fear of speaking leads them to believe that they cannot excel as a speaker.
Book Review: Read our book review

The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking

Title: Clear and to The Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations
Author: Stephen Kosslyn
What is it About: Well-written book full of practical tips and techniques that can be applied immediately to design your slides more effectively.
Who Should Read It: All speakers who want their visuals to complement and reinforce their message.
Book Review: Read our book review

Clear and to The Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations

Title: Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences
Author: Nancy Duarte
What is it About: Deliciously beautiful writing and visuals. Superb treatment of audience analysis, message formation, and storytelling.
Who Should Read It: Every speaker should read this book... twice!
Book Review: Read our book review

Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences

Title: Confessions of a Public Speaker
Author: Scott Berkun
What is it About: An irreverent insider's view of public speaking. You'll be both entertained and educated.
Who Should Read It: Any aspiring speaker who seeks honest insights about public speaking.
Book Review: Read our book review

Title: 101 Ways to Make Training Active
Author: Mel Silberman
What is it About: Compendium of activities and strategies that trainers, presenters, and discussion leaders can use to improve audience engagement.
Who Should Read It: All trainers -- from those with decades of experience to novices who are creating a training course for their company or organization for the first time.
Book Review: Read our book review

Title: The Wealthy Speaker: The Proven Formula for Building Your Successful Speaking Business
Author: Jane Atkinson
What is it About: An insider's view of professional speaking with loads of tips and insights for positioning yourself in the industry.
Who Should Read It: Established speakers ready to take the next step professionally and new speakers who are curious about the possibilities.
Book Review: Read our book review

The Wealthy Speaker: The Proven Formula for Building Your Successful Speaking Business

Title: Advanced Presentations by Design: Creating Communication that Drives Action
Author: Andrew Abela
What is it About: A comprehensive approach to planning and designing presentations focused on selling ideas and persuading your audience.
Who Should Read It: All presenters, particularly those who present in a business or scientific context. You will love this book if you like an interactive, workshop-style format.
Book Review: Read our book review

Advanced Presentations by Design: Creating Communication that Drives Action

Title: Thank You For Arguing
Author: Jay Heinrichs
What is it About: Reveals a collection of time-tested tools which will make you a better speechwriter and a better speaker.
Who Should Read It: All speakers will benefit from understanding the simple, yet not-so-obvious techniques for persuasion and persuasive speechwriting.
Book Review: Read our book review

Title: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
Author: Chip Heath and Dan Heath
What is it About: Best-selling business book delivers on its promise to show how to communicate your ideas so that they will be remembered.
Who Should Read It: All speakers with a message that they want the audience to remember. In short, everyone.
Book Review: Read our book review

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Title: Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History
Author: William Safire (Ed.)
What is it About: Definitive speech compendium covering 233 speeches spanning the period between ancient Rome and the present-day.
Who Should Read It: Every speaker who wants to connect with great speeches from history.
Book Review: Read our book review

Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History

Title: Presentation Patterns: Techniques for Crafting Better Presentations
Author: Neal Ford, Matthew McCullough, Nathaniel Schutta
What is it About: Covers presentation design and delivery with a focus on slide design. Organized according to patterns (i.e. building blocks), both positive and negative, which confront speakers.
Who Should Read It: All speakers will learn, but the pattern format will resonate particularly for technical speakers.
Book Review: Read our book review

Presentation Patterns: Techniques for Crafting Better Presentations

Title: The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion Through the Art of Storytelling
Author: Annette Simmons
What is it About: Makes a strong case of the power of storytelling to influence and inspire, in both public speaking and business communications.
Discusses the different types of stories that every speaker must be able to tell. Weaves numerous stories through the book.
Who Should Read It: (1) Anyone who is not yet convinced how powerful storytelling can be.
(2) Speakers looking to enhance their story repertoire.
Book Review: Read our book review

The Story Factor: Inspiration, Influence, and Persuasion Through the Art of Storytelling

Title: The Naked Presenter: Delivering Powerful Presentations With or Without Slides
Author: Garr Reynolds
What is it About: Packed with excellent advice, particularly on delivery skills and audience-centered presenting.
Who Should Read It: Everyone who wants to present more naturally and more effectively.
Book Review: Read our book review

The Naked Presenter: Delivering Powerful Presentations With or Without Slides

Title: Telling Ain't Training
Author: Harold Stolovitch and Erica Keeps
What is it About: Fantastic resource for trainers with a wealth of theoretical and practical advice. Published by the American Society for Training and Development, this is a best-seller among training professionals.
Who Should Read It: Everyone who trains, educates, or instructs.
Book Review: Read our book review

Title: Universal Principles of Design
Author: William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler
What is it About: Elegantly written and thought-provoking. Packed with creative ideas for improving your presentations. A classic reference!
Who Should Read It: Speakers who want to learn from related disciplines of design, psychology, and usability, and anyone fascinated to understand the world around them.
Book Review: Read our book review

Title: Multimedia Learning
Author: Richard E. Mayer
What is it About: An academic review of cognitive research which provides guidelines for the design of visual presentation aids.
Who Should Read It: Teachers, trainers, instructors, and speaking coaches who want to understand the cognitive theory behind modern slide design.
Book Review: Read our book review

Speechwriting How to Prepare for Presenting to Senior Executives Book Review: 101 Ways to Make Training Active (Mel Silberman) 9 Tips to Make Your Speech Memorable [view all...]	Public Speaking Book Reviews 101 Ways to Make Training Active Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History Presentation Patterns: Techniques for Crafting Better Presentations [view all...]	Public Speaking Weekend Reviews 2012-12-13 2012-11-29 2012-10-04 [view all...]
Delivery Techniques Book Review: 101 Ways to Make Training Active (Mel Silberman) Illusion of Transparency and Public Speaking Fear Spotlight Effect: How Aware of You is Your Audience? [view all...]	Speech Critiques Speech Critique: Suki Kim (TED 2015) Speech Analysis: Franklin Roosevelt Pearl Harbor Address Speech Analysis: Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” [view all...]	Resources for Speakers Audience Analysis Worksheet [Free PDF Download] Six Minutes Holiday Maintenance Top 35 Presentation Books: Expert Ratings [view all...]
Visual Aids Slide Charts: 20 Guidelines for Great Presentation Design Slide Fonts: 11 Guidelines for Great Design Book Review: Presentation Patterns (Neal Ford, Matthew McCullough, Nathaniel Schutta) [view all...]	Speaker Habits How to Prepare for Presenting to Senior Executives Illusion of Transparency and Public Speaking Fear Spotlight Effect: How Aware of You is Your Audience? [view all...]	Interviews Interview with Ryan Avery: 2012 World Champion of Public Speaking Interview with Kristin Arnold, National Speakers Association President What Does Your Personal Brand Say About You as a Speaker? [view all...]