Review: Good advice
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 31, 2013
This is a "improve yourself" book, it is well-written, easy to read and follow, and it is clearly produced. However, its value stands or falls on whether it will assist the novice to speak well in public. Generally speaking, with reservations I think the answer is yes. The first reservation revolves around "52 laws". Trying to remember 52 laws on top of his speech may intimidate the more nervous persons. I feel that the book should have had a brief summary at the end, listing the five most important points, say. There is some really good material in the book, some of which, such as do not memorize your speech, is not obvious, and if the novice speaker grasps these important points, he cannot fail to improve. Some of the material is less helpful. Leave your nerves at home is good advice, but how? Oddly enough, the author fails to mention another obvious one: know why your audience is there. What many novices fail to realize is that in most situations the audience is there specifically to hear what you have to say, so they are inherently on your side. Realize that, and it becomes much easier. Another point not mentioned in the book is to focus on those in the audience that you do not know. Many speakers fail on this; they focus on their friends, leaving those who are ignored feeling irritated.  However, these are quibbles. While some further points could have been given, the book has excellent advice, and if the novice speaker takes note of the main points, he cannot fail to improve his performance. And face it, the ebook is cheap. Good value for money, if you wish to improve your speaking performance.