Customer Reviews

In The SpotLight, Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fear of public speaking has been an enormous thorn in my side my entire adult life. Even when I haven't had to directly confront it for long stretches of time, thanks to my genius for avoidance behavior, it's always nagged at the back of my mind. I always knew I was basically well-adjusted, give or take a quirk or two, but, because of this seemingly insurmountable interior obstacle, this hidden limitation I told myself I couldn't get over, a small part of me clung to the idea that there might be something seriously wrong with me. If I gave a public presentation, I reasoned, the secret would be out; the world would know once and for all that I was "certifiable." Rejection, alienation and who knew what other horrible social tortures would befall me?

Then I read Janet Esposito's book and attended one of her weekend workshops.

My experience of the workshop: It was like being wheeled in wearing a body cast Saturday morning and walking out on my own two feet, with only a slight limp, Sunday evening.

As for this book: I've read a fair number of books on social phobia, shyness and so on, and Esposito's is, in my opinion, far and away the best of the bunch. Not only is it the only one that nails the bullseye on this specific fear, but it's also a joy to read - conversational, yet authoritative; concise, yet comprehensive.

If you feel like you're going to die at the very thought of public speaking or performing, get this book, go to the workshop [URL] and choose a new way to live instead.

The best advice I have for you if you want to overcome your fear of public speaking is to read Janet's book, attended her Level I weekend class and follow-through on your action plan that you develop in class. Your anxiety will definitely go WAY down.

Prior to doing that I had read many books and visited many websites. I even enrolled in Toastmasters and had performance coaching. I had only a small reduction in anxiety over the 18 months prior to going through Janet's class.

Why is she so effective? First, she's been there. You can totally relate to her as she describes her experiences. Second, Janet resolved to overcome her problem and tried many different approaches to do so. Her book and class focus on the most effective methods that attack the problem from several directions. Third, you confront your fear in a very supportive environment with others that are in the same boat. The impact of sharing this struggle openly and supporting others is very powerful. Finally, Janet is a inspiration and a great coach. She is totally committed to her mission of helping others get the fear of public speaking behind them.

I highly recommend her book and he class. You can get more info at performanceanxiety.com. Good luck. You can do it.

I agree with the many raves posted. In my opinion, this book is, hands-down, the most practical and helpful when it comes to actively overcoming a fear of public speaking--and I have read them all! I did take Janet's workshop, but I found the book very helpful even before taking her class. Anyone trying to overcome any of life's obstacles knows that there is no "magic pill"; Janet's strategy is no exception to that rule. But there are definitely shortcuts, and modeling yourself on people who have overcome a similar problem not only makes the process faster, but also gives the comfort of knowing that you're not alone--there are MANY otherwise competent and stable individuals who suffer from performance anxiety.

If you suffer from performance anxiety, do yourself a big favor and read this book. Go the next step and visit Janet's web site at www.performanceanxiety.com. And if you really want to overcome your fear, take her workshop. It changed my life.

To start off with, this book is for people who avoid public speaking situations (presentations/performances/not speaking up during meetings/keeping yourself back from voicing your opinion/avoiding presentations at Uni/avioding subjects that involve public speaking/afraid of promotion at work due to increased public speaking situations etc...). This book is for people who have a phobia of speaking in front of others and want to understand how they can accept, deal with, and conquer this fear (that is shared by LOADS of people worldwide).

If you are one of the above, I recommend this book 110%. I read this book, took notes while I was reading, and did all her Action Steps.

Janet hits the nail on the head and will give you that inner confidence that you need to speak up and voice your opinion whether its at work, Uni, or in your everyday life!

***** - 5 stars

Since I don't have a terrible 'fear' of speaking in public, but instead just get a bit nervous, I did not find this book useful. If you experience panic attacks at the thought of speaking in public, then this book is well-suited for you.

"Little keys open huge treasures", therapy from Janet's book transforms a person who fears public speaking and performance to a very special person - an achiever. This I say because I used to initiate community projects but would never involve myself in positions that require public speaking. There were many other opportunities I missed in life because of this problem. When I read Janet's book, I was so surprised but also happy to find out that I was not alone in this problem. My problem was identified as related to one of the characters mentioned in chapter three of the book. Through out the book, my problem of public speaking was broken down in a way that I could understand it better. Janet's book has a unique way of making a person to be always in control of him/herself. Deep breathing exercises, relaxation exercises, and many more tips are all helpful ways I learnt to create a calm and resourceful body and mind. This book further makes you identify your source of fear and thereby get rid of it completely. I can now speak with confidence, no more negative thoughts, and many other other things that makes fear to spiral and hence creating tension in my body. Janet's book is a hand book everyone wishing to perform effectively should have. Thanks to Janet, rarely will there be so few who are gifted and wise enough to change the lives of so many, she is one of them. It is my wish that this book be made available to every library around the world so that many people who need this type of therapy may always refer to it. So far, I have not seen it done so beautifully in any book except hers. Many blessings for her unique skills.

I can honestly say that I was extremely fearful of public speaking. I'm a college student and I gave a speech and was extremely uncomfortable while doing it, experiencing almost an out of body like sensation which made me very nervous. I had to deliver another speech and was searching for a solution to my problem and came across this on Amazon and decided to give it a shot. I read this book in little under a week, and was prepared to give my speech with excitement and no longer anxiety. The only drawbacks to this book is that alot of the exercises I didn't do because they rely on other people to assist you and I was very embarassed by this fear and didn't want anyone to know it. Also, it has many self promotions to her seminar throughout the book. But, some of the excercises and techniques this book has to offer really do work and greatly reduce the fear. Heck, it also motivated me to give up caffeine.

This seems more like an AA book for people with deep fears of public speaking. I was looking for techniques and tips to becoming a more effective public speaker. This book dwells too much on the "fear" and "how we are not alone". I read other people's positive reviews on this book and that is why I decided to purchase it. However, I was disappointed to find that it was light on technique. If you are terrified of public speaking and need to come to grips with your fear, then this is your book. If fear is not your main issue, in that you are looking for tips and techniques to becoming a more effective speaker, then keep looking.

I've read a number of books on the subject of the fear of public speaking but not one of them even came close to the issue until I read Janet's book. Most authors simply say that you need to "be prepared" and this is enough to get you through a speaking situation. This is absolutely not true as a true fear of public speaking goes much deeper than that. Even when speaking about a subject that they know cold (e.g. about themselves), people with this fear would rather die on the spot than have to go through a speaking situation. Janet knows all about this as she suffers with the same phobia as you. Her book will have you nodding your head in agreement as she nails each topic. Most importantly, her education and training when combined with her first hand experience with the subject makes her the perfect person to help you deal with your problem. In addition to reading her book, I also attended her Level I seminar last year and I encourage others to do the same. Further, I re-joined Toastmasters International and am going to attend Janet's Refresher seminar in July. If public speaking is a fear in yor life, do yourself a favor and purchase this book. It will truly change your life!

Written with warmth and compassion for people who suffer from various forms of a social phobia, In The SpotLight hits the spot. While it isn't essential for an author to personally suffer form the topic they teach, it is a real bonus. The author draws on personal struggles and walks the reader through her own process of transformation, using a creative mixture of psychological and motivational techniques. The reader feels empowered by Janet's approach. In addition, the book's format is strategic, providing a concise summary of the key points at the end of each chapter, plus a bonus of doable "action steps" to keep the reader advancing. Janet's book is the next best thing to attending one of her hands-on seminars to help people overcome their fears of public speaking and performing. In The SpotLight is a real testimonial to taking one's disability and reshaping it into one's greatest ability. Janet has the ability to reach her audience in a unique and powerful way.

Ginger Blume, PH.D. Psychologist, radio host, news columnist, and friend