Customer Reviews

Quick & Easy Way to Effective Speaking

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This book has 14 chapters of examples and insight into public speeching. The author, who taught public speaking at seminars for 40 years, has learned alot and communicates his ideals well in written form. I really envy those who had a chance to listen to his public speeches. That is the weakest part of this book, which the author admits. It doesn't matter how much you read about speaking, you have to go out and do it, or you can't get better.

With that noted, this book does a great job at describing the speaking process. It starts by reviewing "the basics" and then divides his book into the special potential needs of its readers. At its core, this book tries to address the fears of its readers. It appear that public speaking strikes fear into more people, then anything else. If you are scared, you can't think well or express yourself clearly. Thus, if you can conquer your fear, you are on your way to giving a great speech.

"Quick" discusses three things to do. First, be prepared. You can't talk intelligently about any topic, if you don't understand it. Second, try to speak to your interests. The more you care about something, the more interesting will be your speech. Third, remember your audience. Even if you love __________ (fill in the blank), you need to understand that your audience may not. Since, no speech is effective if you lose your audience, you have to remember their needs.

The other thing "Quick" does is give you good tips. Don't try to use them all at once. My advise, pick the one, or two you like the best and work on them. Once you perfect them, or decide you don't like them, try something else. For example, I like "Quick's" suggestions of using names when you tell a story. "Imagine a hero with no name" who would remember him? Well, if you want to use an example with people, give them names, it makes it easier for your audience to relate to them.

This is this book's strongest foundation, the colorful examples and the author ability to relate to his readers through them. He quotes famous people like Lincoln and Julius Ceaser repeatedly. He also cites more ordinary people to show how real people have good insights into life.

Overall, the examples and the organization are interesting and add to its strength. "Quick" is a good book, a good "primer" for new speakers. I don't think more experienced speakers will enjoy it as much, but there is enough here to please most people who want to improve their speaking skill, novice or expert.

I've been a member of Toastmasters Clubs and been trained in all the "fundamentals of speaking" but I'll tell you something: Carnegie's three fundamental principles are all you need. He's the only speaking teacher I've ever read who points out that all the superficial effects, like your voice quality and your gestures and whether you say UM or not, these aren't important. What really matters is that you're speaking about something you really believe and really want to say to this group, and something that you REALLY know, either from experience or intense study.

If you only speak on those topics, all the superficial stuff works out. You communicate. And you'll feel comfortable doing it. Carnegie's three fundamentals are the most important you'll ever encounter on speaking.

I'm the author of the book, Self-Help Stuff That Works, and I'm an expert on the subject, and I'm telling you if you want to help yourself to better speaking skills, study and practice the principles in this book and forget the superficials.

Before I joined Toastmaster International about year ago, I always wanted to speak better in public. Now I am a member of Toastmasters Club, I find this book very helpful whenever I give speeches at our meetings.

The nice thing about this book is that it is full of practical and proven techniques and fundermentals of communicantion and speaking. No elaborate theories, just plain simple but extremely effective ways of preparing talks, short or long, what audience likes to hear about, how to give attention getting openings and closings in your speeches among others.

All these ideas I put them to work right away in every speech. How many times can you read something and use it on the same day?

I strongly recommend this book to everyone not just for public speaking, but for daily interaction between people, jobs and social occasions.

I read this book back in 1972 and it had been around for many years then. It is simply the finest single book I've read on public speaking, and for several years I made my living on the platform. I've suggested it to many people over the years and have never heard anything but compliments.

Someone wrote a negative and mean spirited review of this book, even suggesting it was written by someone else after Mr. Carnegie passed away. What garbage. To give himself creditability he indicated he was a college professor. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't but I also teach at a university and I felt compelled to write this.

Despite what this person says, Dale Carnegie's book on speaking has been in print for many years and sold copies in the millions. This is what I'd call surviving the test of time. The public, by deciding where to spend their money really determines the worth of this book.

If anyone is serious about learning to speak in public, I can't think of a better book to suggest.

As a member of Toastmasters I have access to a wide variety of materials and seminars on public speaking. However, this one book covered more material in less space and in easier terms than all the seminars I've attended. His style is not that of a college textbook - if it were I wouldn't have read it. His style is straight from the hip. I consider this book to be my textbook, with Toastmasters providing the chance to practice what I've read. This book has done more to improve my speeches than the formal Toastmaster's evaluations.

If you have never gotten up and spoken in front of a group before or if you have spent years on the lecture circuit, Carnegie guide on speaking will help you and improve your speaking skills.

Carnegie lays out the ground work starting with the fundamentals of speaking such as effective ways on keeping and holding your audiences attention and then moves more into detail in giving the tips and tricks of how to handle different areas such as introductions, presenting awards, and the ever abundant fundraising and call to action speeches.

What makes the book really interesting is all the stories he provides from his years of experience in teaching these classes. These tales put into example points he is trying to make in his work.

Overall, Carnegie work is effective in it's approach, easy to read and follow and highly enjoyable.

You can rarely go wrong if you follow this rule of thumb: If it's by Dale Carnegie, then it's going to be well worth reading. 'The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking' is no exception!

To be honest, though, the title probably doesn't do the book justice, because while being an effective and very marketable title, if fear of public speaking had a 'quick and easy' solution, there wouldn't be so many folk out there still fretting about it.

That said, if you want a beginner's guide that startes out by covering the fundamentals in a clear and user-friedly way, then you wouldn't be making a bad choice if you opted to read this.

'The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking' covers the basic speaking process, dealing with the fear of public speaking, which, if we are honest, is THE key element that leaves us tongue-tied or backing away in dread, which in turn, is bound to affect the quality of our speech, no matter how well prepared we are in other ways.

On choosing a topic for the speech, Dale gives us refreshingly realistic advice - to choose a topic that we already love and know a lot about as a basis for a speech, but to be aware that it may not be your audience's choice.

All in all, you're in good hands. Dale draws upon his vast experiences as a speaker himself, and a teacher of public speaking to help the reader understand the process. He also draws upon the public speaking abilities of great men in history, such as Abraham Lincoln.

Recommended.

Myth: Great speakers are born. Dale Carnegie's "The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking" may be a misnomer - it's not as easy as easy as the title may imply, but more importantly, he shows that it's nurture not nature that makes a great speaker. The book is filled with inspiring examples, tips and lessons. If you want to become a great speaker, this is a must read. You'll learn about the common pitfalls, the structure of the talk, the importance of introductions, conclusions, and much more. This book has stood the test of time and helped thousands of people, I'm glad to say that I'm one of them.

Dale Carnegie discusses several aspects of effective speaking:

1. Keep your goal before you, visualize success, and seize every opportunity to practice.

2. Prepare well and be confident.

3. Speak on a topic that you have expertise in and are passionate about.

4. Limit the scope of your talk, know 10X what you put on slides, and fill talk with illustrations and examples.

5. Talk to your listeners' interests, give honest and sincere appreciation, empathize with audience, make them a partner in your talk, be modest.

6. For short talks, give an example / incident from your life (70%), state your point and action desired from audience, and the benefit that the audience may expect.

7. For informational talks compare strange with familiar.

8. For impromptu talks, get into an example immediately, speak with animation / enthusiasm.

9. Converse with your audience, specific details help

Numerous examples reinforce the above notes. Useful and easy to apply.

I read and shop for a lot of self improvement books. I must say that this book is absolutely outstanding. Easy read. It will serve as as book for future reference.