The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-07-18
THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

THE ART OF PUBLIC SREAhiNb.
 By Dr. J. Berg Esenwein and pale
 Carnagey The Home Correspondence
 School, publishers, Springfield, Mass.
 There is something tremendously alive about some books, but few readers would suspect that a volume hearing the titie "The Art of Public Speaking" would be ne ,or,o-clv full of living forces as the latest volume from the pen of d. Berg Esenwein assisted by Dale Carnagey. It is not that these two men-the one well thought of author of a half dozen books like 'yVrting the Short Story as well as a lecturer of distinction; and the other a successful magazine writer and teacher of public speaking in Y. M. [. A. schools in New York. Brooklyn, Phila- delphia, Wilmington and Baltimore-t IS not that these co-authors are themselves successful speakers that makes this DOCK SO truly vital: it is simply because 1t Is ha sed on a really big and really fresh idea. And that is no small distinction
 As Dr. Esenwein puts it in the preface to '"rhe Art of Public Speaking;' Tt is of some importance. therefore, to those who take up this volume with open mind that they should see clearly at the out start what Is the thought that at once underlies and is builded through this structure. Tn plain words 1t is this. Train ing in public speaking is not matter of externals-primarily; 1t is not matter of n-fundamentally; 1t Is not a matter of conformity to staDdards-at all Public speaking is public utterance, pub lie issuance. of the man himself; there fore the first thing both in time and in importance is that the man should, be and thing and feel things that are worthy of being given forth. Unless there be something of value within, no tricks Of training can ever make of the talker any, thing more than a machine-albeit a high lv perfected machine-for the delivery of other mems goods. So self-development Is fundamental In our plan.
 The second principle lies close to the first: The man must enthrone his will to rule over his thought, his feelings. and all his physical powers. so that the outer re'f ~,av give nerfect. unhampered ex- pression to the inner It Is futile. we as sert. to lay down systems of rules for voice culture, intonation gesture, and what not unless these two principles of having something to say and making the will sovereign have at least begun to make themselves felt in the life
 The third principle will, we surmise. arouse dispute: No one can learn how to speak who does not first speak as best he can"
 Any book that does things like these for the man and the woman who reads it attentively is book worth owning. Too long the art of public speech-of per suasion. of conviction--has been hedged about bv rules. ridiculous rules, the most of them. because each of us has been built according to different specifications. But once show Il man how to discover and how to captain the team of his life ife-forces-mental. volitional. emotional. phvsical-and you have given him him self And that is precisely what "The Art of Public Speaking" does. All who ever speak to those whom they hope to convince and influence to action will find so much dynamic force in the clear, cheery, inspiring words of this helpful book that they will feel like rivalling the punch and power of the many ef-