Confessions of a Public Speaker: Amazon.co.uk: Scott Berkun: Books

Review

Scott Berkun tells it like it is. Whether you're speaking to 10 people or 1000 people, you will gain insights to take your presentation skills to the next level. It's a rare book that will make you think AND laugh.

-- Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com

(Tony Hsieh )

Smart, funny, and provocative, Scott Berkun's Confessions puts an very modern and wholly relevant spin on the fine art of public speaking.

-- Suzy Welch, best-selling author and public speaker

(Suzy Welch )

Your next talk will be ten times better if you read this book first.

-- Gina Trapani, founding editor of Lifehacker.com

(Gina Trapani )

Loved it! This is a very informative and entertaining look at the important art of public speaking. Anyone who speaks for a living— including teachers — will greatly benefit from this book.

-- Garr Reynolds, Author of Presentation Zen

(Garr Reynolds )

Even if you prepare well and avoid disaster, of course, you may not charm everyone in the audience. But you can at least--with Mr. Berkun's help--avoid being cripplingly nervous before that brown-bag presentation and wishing it were tomorrow.

-- Philip Delves Broughton,

(Philip Delves Broughton )

I've seen Scott speak a few times before, and he knows his stuff. Add to this his sense of humor, plus the fact that pretty much everyone can stand to learn some new ideas about speaking, and this book is a MUST for your collection.

-- Chris Brogan,

(Chris Brogan )

For those that are contemplating public speaking, or want to improve their current aptitude, it is impossible that after reading the book, that they won't be a better speaker. For those that simply want to know what goes into, and what makes a really good presentation, Confessions of a Public Speaker is also a worthwhile book to read.

-- Ben Rothke,

(Ben Rothke )

With tips on how to combat pre-speech butterflies, battling the "tough room" and how not to bore people silly, this book will ensure your next Powerpoint will be a success.

-- John Baichtal,

(John Baichtal )

Part confessional, part "how-to," this entertaining book is a godsend for anyone who would rather have an appendectomy without anesthetic than address a group in public.

-- Virginia Backaitis,

(Virginia Backaitis )

Product Description

In this hilarious and highly practical book, author and professional speaker Scott Berkun reveals the techniques behind what great communicators do, and shows how anyone can learn to use them well. For managers and teachers -- and anyone else who talks and expects someone to listen -- Confessions of a Public Speaker provides an insider's perspective on how to effectively present ideas to anyone. It's a unique, entertaining, and instructional romp through the embarrassments and triumphs Scott has experienced over 15 years of speaking to crowds of all sizes.

With lively lessons and surprising confessions, you'll get new insights into the art of persuasion -- as well as teaching, learning, and performance -- directly from a master of the trade.

Highlights include:

Berkun's hard-won and simple philosophy, culled from years of lectures, teaching courses, and hours of appearances on NPR, MSNBC, and CNBC
Practical advice, including how to work a tough room, the science of not boring people, how to survive the attack of the butterflies, and what to do when things go wrong
The inside scoop on who earns $30,000 for a one-hour lecture and why
The worst -- and funniest -- disaster stories you've ever heard (plus countermoves you can use)

Filled with humorous and illuminating stories of thrilling performances and real-life disasters, Confessions of a Public Speaker is inspirational, devastatingly honest, and a blast to read.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Great if you're not a natural public speaker 5 Jan 2011

By AJ Fisher

Format:Hardcover

The majority of people hate speaking in public and I'm certainly one of those. Unfortunately, particularly if you are a professional, at some point you are going to be asked to give a presentation to your co-workers, your board or at a conference. We are used to seeing highly polished performances from speakers like Scott Berkun, our politicians and other notable figures so the bar seems incredibly high for anyone just starting or who only speaks in public infrequently.

"Confessions of a Public Speaker" helps push away the anxiety. Using a lot of humour, many personal stories and a healthy dose of research, Scott educates the reader on how to construct a great talk or presentation, preparing properly, harnessing the "attack of the butterflies" in a positive way and many other tips and techniques for delivering a great performance.

The book is warmly written, giving many examples of how Scott has gone wrong over the years and is thus approachable for everyone - particularly those who lack confidence when speaking in front of a crowd. My copy is much dog-eared and underlined and every time I present I come back to it.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Wish I had read this some years ago 27 Aug 2010

By chrisjohnston76@hotmail.com

excellent insight into the professional public speaking world in a relaxed and informal way. Some excellent hints and tips. Used in conjunction with Made to stick by Heath and Heath becomes very powerful.

Relevant stories to make you smile 1 May 2010

By Patrick Mayfield

As a frequent public speaker I very much enjoyed this book. I think the enjoyment came from the empathy I felt for Scott Berkun as well as his humour - he has a nice turn of ironic simile, almost on a par with that of Douglas Adams or of Raymond Chandler.

The empathy arose from the approach he as taken, which is an unapologetic personal take on his journey to become a competent presenter. I found this quite refreshing. In fact, in his notes towards the end of the book, he comes clean about the power of storytelling, even though he didn't include a specific chapter or section on it.

So this is no dry, systematic treatise on the obvious mechanics of presenting - eye contact, posture, and so on - although most of the main elements are touched on at some point. No, here the reader finds lived experiences written with the visceral relevance of someone who has found himself speaking in all kinds of unpredictable contexts, written sometimes in a self-deprecating and irreverent style.

I will be recommending this to my colleagues in pearcemayfield.