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

Thomas Leech (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 25, 2003

Whether it's to make a sale, rally a team, or ask for a raise, framing a compelling and convincing message is essential.

Nobody knew that better than William Shakespeare. Inspired by this great communicator, Say It Like Shakespeare features powerful how-tos illustrated with examples from Shakespeare's works. Readers learn how to gather vital audience intelligence, develop a sound action plan, and more.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The Bard's Timeless Tips for Better Communication

Thomas Leech, one of today's experts on public speaking and business communication, teams up with William Shakespeare, the acknowledged master of language, timing, and persuasion, to offer powerful communication lessons. Combining easy-to-follow how-tos with pithy examples, insights, and witticisms from Shakespeare's immortal works, Say It Like Shakespeare gives you the skills to get your message across to audiences of any size.

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, a business communications consultant, has clients from Fortune 500 companies, public agencies, and professional associations. He is the author of several books, including How to Prepare, Stage, and Deliver Winning Presentations, a "Best Business Book of the Year" award-winner from Library Journal.

Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (February 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071412972
• ISBN-13: 978-0071412971
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.9 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: #2,455,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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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."