« The Art of Public Speaking» by Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie (1888-1955)
A great start to shaking off public speaking jitters, socializing and mastering the art of small talk.
The principles of public speaking written by Dale Carnegie decades ago in this book are timeless. They are just as effective in working a crowd in today’s society as they were back then. He delves into ways of commanding and charming an audience with the right energy, tone of voice, pitch, pronunciation and vocabulary. Armed with the principles highlighted in this book, you can do more than convey a message to a group of people, you can move them.
Carnegie gives useful advice and hints on public speaking stating that when you have something to say, are adequately prepared and have mastered an audience then public speaking success is eminent. He delivers a topic by topic approach offering solutions to common public speaking problems. Moreover, each chapter features practice questions and exercises to help the reader understand the subject better.
By reading this book, you can acquire confidence before an audience; efficiently convey your message by inflection, change of pace, emphasis and subordination. You can learn to influence people through exposition, description, narration, suggestion, argument and persuasion.
Throughout the book there are numerous quotes and references from influential individuals and institutions to emphasize the subject. The book is also riddled with numerous stories and examples to expound on the subject and to paint a picture in the reader’s mind on what constitutes an effective public speaker as well as what kind of speech is considered effective.
Many people who think they are good public speakers are left in doubt after reading this book. ‘The Art of Public Speaking’ is an essential tool to help you learn to work a crowd, leave them charmed and hanging onto your every word. A great start to shaking off public speaking jitters, socializing and mastering the art of small talk.