Yes You Can!: Behind the Hype and Hustle of the Motivation Biz
An Olympic skier who failed to medal in Albertville cheerleads sales reps at $15,000 per 50-minute gig; a triple killer gives speeches from prison; a firewalker coaches executives to walk on red-hot coals and conquer their fears; and a double amputee who is both a doctor and an opera singer summons a group of Michigan road builders to appreciate their loved ones. As he surveys a field of 5,000 registered American motivational speakers and 50,000 wannabes, Black, a formerPlayboymanaging editor, learns that the events industry is nervous in these budget-conscious times, as corporate bean-counters question what professional speakers actually add to a company's bottom line. Trying to inspire some suburban Kiwanis with his own speech, Black wonders if people really change after hearing a speaker and concludes that the proclivity to change may be programmed into American DNA. He also discovers that one lecture can't always do the trick and enrolls in a more rigorous Landmark Forum, where strangers swap intimacies for three intense days, and chases that with a 10-week jargon-laden seminar on effectiveness. Although bolstered by solid research and lively anecdotes, this effort might have motivated readers more as a magazine article than as a book.(Oct.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.