Great Speeches For Better Speaking (Book + Audio CD): Listen and Learn from History's Most Memorable Speeches [Paperback]

Michael Eidenmuller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 4, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0071472290 | ISBN-13: 978-0071472296 | Edition: 1

Master the art of persuasion with lessons from the best speakers of our time.

Throughout history, they have moved us. They have enlightened and inspired us. They are our nation's most influential speakers, gifted with the talent to change minds and hearts. What is the almost magical power they possess--and how can you harness it for yourself? The answers are here in this illuminating guide to unforgettable oratory.

Complete with a ninety-minute CD featuring six great speeches in their entirety, this tool kit for speakers takes you through an in-depth analysis of these historically significant speeches and the secrets of their eloquent effectiveness. With close examination of each speech, you'll get lessons on how to:

• Address a difficult situation with help from the Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan
• Bring divergent interests together with effective arguments like Edward Kennedy
• Capture and hold your audience's attention by mastering General Douglas MacArthur's structual techniques
• Style a formal speech with the elegance of John F. Kennedy
• Maximize your delivery by studying the power of Barbara Jordan's voice
• Use Mary Fisher's special rhetorical tactics to sway even the toughest audience

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael E. Eidenmuller, Ph.D., is an associate professor of speech communication at the University of Texas at Tyler and the founder of AmericanRhetoric.com, the Internet's largest database of freely available, complete speeches in both text and audio format. He lives in Whitehouse, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 209 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (June 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071472290
• ISBN-13: 978-0071472296
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.7 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #421,668 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Guide to public speaking July 2, 2008

By Geanina I. Barna

Format:Paperback

'Great Speeches for Better Speaking' is a guide to oratory and, in this capacity, serves as a good tool for educating readers about what rhetoric meant, means and should mean in a democratic society. Through the chosen speeches and the author's analysis of each speech, the book persuades the reader that rhetoric is an art worth studying, a craft to be mastered and practiced because of its power and influence on human belief and behavior. The author did a good job supporting his ideas by way of example, through historical backgrounds, and brief biographical introductions to each speaker. Overall the book offers a good learning experience and it is worth reading.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable & enlightening November 19, 2008

By Matthew Jones

Format:Paperback

I found this book to be an enjoyable and enlightening read. The CD that is included is a great bonus! This book should impact and be applicable for any demographic. `Great Speeches for Better Speaking' drips of history and ties together why and how rhetoric, as it relates to public speaking, is so very important.

For the casual reader who enjoys history and what goes on behind the scenes of some of the most important speeches of our time, to the intellectual who strives to learn the integral parts of what makes a speech work or not work; this book caters to all.

I'm certain the author had a difficult time in narrowing down and selecting the speeches for this book, which begs the question, will there be more?

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars It will sharpen my skills August 2, 2008

By D. B. McCormick

Format:Paperback

This is a good book. The style is informative but not stuffy. It has contributed to my speaking skill. This is not for those new to presentations due to it's lack of exercises. You'll have to design your own exercises to apply what you've read.