Say It Like Shakespeare: How to Give a Speech Like Hamlet, Persuade Like Henry V, and Other Secrets from the World's Greatest Communicator [Hardcover]

Thomas Leech (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 9, 2001

Book Info A guide to better communication skills using the trademark persuasion style of famous playright, William Shakespeare. Takes examples from Shakespeare's characters and plays to illustrate the qualities and skills an excellent communicator must have, helping readers empower themselves to be more effective in front of an audience, as part of a team, or one-on-one.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

No man is lord of anything
Though in and of him there be much consisting
Till he communicate his parts to others.
­­William Shakespeare

No matter how talented the individual, superior the product, or righteous the cause, success is a stranger to the person who lacks effective communication skills. And whether it's asking for a raise, coaching a colleague, giving a presentation, or rallying a team, the essence of effective communication lies in the ability to send information well, be a good listener and facilitator, develop a clear, compelling message, and make good use of the medium for imparting it.

Nobody understood these ingredients better than William Shakespeare, and for over four centuries, celebrated communicators in many fields have found inspiration and guidance in his immortal comedies, dramas, and sonnets. Inspired by the Bard's genius and written by one of the nation's leading authorities on public speaking and business communication, Say It Like Shakespeare will entertain you while providing valuable lessons on what it takes to be a successful communicator, whether in the workplace or in personal life.

Triggered by the Bard's pithy examples, insights, and witticisms, the expert advice from Say It Like Shakespeare covers all key aspects of face-to-face communication. You'll discover how to:

• Jump-start your career through inspiration, vivid anecdotes, and proven approaches
• Polish your personal sending ability through better use of language, voice, appearance, and nonverbal messages
• Improve receiving ability, to better listen, interact, and respond in a variety of situations
• Develop a clear, compelling message through sound audience analysis, organization, and punchy stories and examples
• Master the medium to increase readiness and success via more astute use of visual aids, props, attention to details, and practice
• Enhance team communications to achieve a successful project outcome, cleverly shoot down the opposition, and, if necessary, reinvigorate your downfallen colleagues

Whether your goal is to occupy a corner office or a political one, to win a contract or the heart of a beloved, Say It Like Shakespeare offers you an unparalleled opportunity to learn from the all-time master communicator how to "mend your speech a little, lest it mar your fortunes," avoid sending "a tale told by an idiot ... signifying nothing," urge your team "once more into the breech, dear friends," and even deliver the leveling quip at a competitor who "has not so much brain as ear wax."

The Bard's Timeless Tips for Better Communication

Thomas Leech, one of today's most sought-after experts on public speaking and business communication, teams up with William Shakespeare, the acknowledged master of language timing and persuasion, to offer you powerful lessons on how to be a great communicator. Combining clear, easy-to-follow how-tos, with pithy examples, insights, and witticisms from Shakespeare's immortal works, Say It Like Shakespeare arms you with the knowledge and skills you need to get your message across to audiences from one to one thousand.

Among other things, you'll learn how to:

• Polish your personal sending ability through better use of language, voice, appearance, and nonverbal messages
• Be a better listener and responder in a variety of situations
• Plan strategy, size up audiences, organize ideas, and use punchy stories and examples to win over your audiences
• Enhance readiness and meeting success via more astute use of visual aids, props, equipment, arrangements, and practice
• Nurture a project team toward a successful outcome, cleverly shoot down the opposition, and reinspire your downfallen colleagues

About the Author

Thomas Leech is one of today's most sought-after consultants on business communications, public speaking, and presentations. His clients for executive and team coaching, training seminars, and conference programs include many Fortune 500 companies, public agencies, and professional associations. He conducts the team presentation module for the University of California­San Diego (UCSD) Executive Leadership Program and has taught management communications for National University. He served as communications administrator for General Dynamics and was one of the nation's first corporate ombudsmen. He is a long-time freelance writer and columnist, with over 200 articles on communication in Presentations, Master Salesman, Manage, The Toastmaster, and business journals, plus the monthly Outdoors Forum for San Diego magazine's online edition, San Diego Online. He's the author of several other books, including How to Prepare, Stage & Deliver Winning Presentations, which won a "Best Business Book of the Year" award from Library Journal.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 313 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (May 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071373152
• ISBN-13: 978-0071373159
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,895,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars So much for Shakespeare, July 28, 2003

By 

J. LEE - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Say It Like Shakespeare: How to Give a Speech Like Hamlet, Persuade Like Henry V, and Other Secrets from the World's Greatest Communicator (Hardcover)

I read this book with much anticipation, excited to see how the author was going to link Shakespeare's works with communication skills. I must say that I was sorely disappointed.

As an active Toastmaster of 3 years and an avid reader of various communication books, I feel there is nothing new worth learning from this book.

1. Most points are obviously emulating the Toastmasters basic project manual or basically any other ordinary communications book that you can pick off a shelf in any bookstore. Points brought up mention stuff like speech organisation, sincerity, body language and vocal variety. That is fine if these points had been elaborated in more detail rather than sweepingly carried across. This makes the book feel more like a teaser on various communication techniques - just a teaser - meaning no real content, just words to trigger your interest (that is, if you are a complete novice AND not a Toastmaster).

2. I was wondering how the book would link its contents to Shakespeare. What happened was that the author simply peppered LOTS of quotes from various Shakespearean works throughout every page, and I mean a LOT. What makes it more disappointing is that the meaning behind the quotes are never really explored in detail as to how it could possibly give us some lessons in communicating well. In that retrospect, this book violates the very essence of good communication skills - Purposeful Actions. The author did the action of putting lots of quotes in, just so that this book could be hyped as the "Say it like Shakespeare" book. Unfortunately, since these quotes were not properly weaved into the content, nor were proper lessons that readers could learn from these quotes identified or highlighted adequately, these quotes tend to stuck out like a sore thumb in the book AND became part of UNPURPOSEFUL content.

3. As mentioned earlier, the content being more of a teaser, just informs but doesn't help you in any way of application. Plus you tend to question its credibility cos of its vagueness in explanation and its content being the sort of content that you can even pick off freely from any Internet site.

My conclusions are:
1. If you are a complete beginner and just want to KNOW (but not understand nor apply) what is supposed to be touted as common good communication practices, read this book.

2. If you have some experience in public speaking, and/or have read many communication mantras already, give this book a miss - you will find that you can reap nothing new in terms of knowledge for this.

3. If you are a strategist interested in seeing how Shakespeare can be a useful tool in teaching you good communication skills - just like how some people are interested in how Sun Tzu's military strategies can be applied to business - forget this book. You'll only be greeted with numerous quotes of Shakespeare WITHOUT explanations or links.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bard for All Occasions, January 23, 2004

By 

Paricia Kart (San Diego, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Say It Like Shakespeare: How to Give a Speech Like Hamlet, Persuade Like Henry V, and Other Secrets from the World's Greatest Communicator (Hardcover)

Tom Leech's book, "Say It Like Shakespeare" is an absolute gem - and definitely a keeper. In the short time in which I've owned the book, I have used it in lectures, classes, and even social occasions. Surely Shakespeare himself must be delighted to know his words ring true for so many instances in this 21st century. This wonderful book shall have a place of honor among the reference books I use most often. However, this is the only one that continually amuses, confounds, and inspires. I certainly hope that Mr. Leech will soon be publishing more.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shakespeare Would Like This Book, June 14, 2001

By 

Sondra Thiederman (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Say It Like Shakespeare: How to Give a Speech Like Hamlet, Persuade Like Henry V, and Other Secrets from the World's Greatest Communicator (Hardcover)

I always figured that Shakespeare was a wise man, but never did I fully grasp how practical and timeless his messages were until I saw them used to emphasize Tom Leech's strategies for better communication. This is one of those ideas that is so obvious and logical that you wonder why it never was thought of before. Leech has taken his obviously in-depth knowledge of communication in business and linked it to some of the bard's most brilliant aphorisms. The end result is an easy read and an enhanced understanding of what we all need to do in order to communicate more effectively. Even the most experienced speakers need to take a look at this volume for, as stated in Julius Caesar, "Methinks there is much reason in his sayings."