" at 7:48 a.m. on a Tuesday, I am showered, cleaned, shaved, pruned, fed, and deodorized, wearing a pressed shirt and shiny shoes, in a cab on my way to the San Francisco waterfront I'm far from home, going to an unfamiliar place, and performing for strangers, three stressful facts that mean anything can happen " 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. "A fresh, fun, memorable take on the most critical thing: what we say. Highly recommended." -Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief, Wired "Loved it! Anyone who speaks for a living-including teachers-will greatly benefit from this book." -Garr Reynolds, author of Presentation Zen

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 5 Ratings

Read this book AND watch the videos! - 2009-11-08
Reviewer Rating:
I read this book online through Safari Books (a paid subscription service), so it was quite convenient to flip between the book and the author's "Latest Videos and Podcasts" (a link to his site is above, in the "About the Author" section). But you can get the same multi-media experience with the book in hand, by taking breaks between chapters so you can compare the book's advice to the author's actual public speaking performance.

The speeches are interesting in their own right, covering topics of innovation and software development. It's immediately apparent that Berkun uses conversational poise and timing to keep his audience's attention. But combining the book with Berkun's online talks leads to at least two rewards. First, you can evaluate how well the speaker follows his own advice. To my eye and ear, Berkun succeeds quite well here. Secondly, the book gives you an understanding of the huge amount of work that goes into an effective talk. After reading about the importance of mastering your topic, practicing your material, and respecting your audience's investment of time and attention, you can witness the tangible benefits.

You might not have the opportunity to watch Berkun's talks, or you just might find it hard to put the book down -- it is that well written. That's OK, because the book itself has plenty of good advice for public -- and private -- speakers. Blending humor with persuasion, and explanation with story-telling, Berkun describes how the speaker can manage their own emotions, keep the audience's attention, and appreciate the processes of learning & teaching. The book shows how to avoid mistakes, and how to survive them. This is done particularly well in the chapter, "You can't do worse than this". That very entertaining chapter tells the public-speaking horror stories that will help you keep your own personal catastrophes in perspective.

There are only a few, very minor, annoyances: I thought the book's occasional use of profanity was distracting, and the 3-page Colophon could have been just as amusing in one page. Of course, no book (or talk) can please everyone all the time.

The book gives plenty of practical advice: how to stop using verbal placeholders such "Umm"; tips on dealing with microphones, remote controls and even conference badges; what to look for in audience surveys and feedback; how to manage the audience's behavior. Whether you absorb this advice from the book alone, or from the book along with Berkun's online talks, it's a worthwhile learning experience.

A wonderful read for anyone who has ever needed to get on stage - 2009-11-07
Reviewer Rating:
If you're a speaker, be it a professional or someone who gets called upon to do a talk on some obscure technical topic once a year, this book deserves a spot on your bookshelf along with Presentation Zen.

Readers of this book will fall into two categories. The first will be those who have never been up on stage before and for whom, this book is filled with useful information, hard-learnt lessons and tips on what to do from a veteran.

The second (and I fall into this bucket) are people who enjoy public speaking and do it semi-regularly as a part of their job or just because they like to. Here, this book really shines. Throughout this book (which I consumed in one reading), I found myself nodding and going "Yeah! I know when that happens" or "I do that all the time". Scott has a talent for spotting patterns and lessons. Speakers pick up good 'habits' and tricks over time which they just know to do involuntarily. However, before this book, I've never seen them put so concisely on paper before.

Lovingly put together by someone who is obviously passionate about the subject, this book is a great read for the night before the big keynote or the big presentation.

Very highly recommended.

P.S My favorite part of the book are the speaker horror stories right at the end (the one from Larry Lessig is worth the price of admission). I can imagine reading through them if one of my presentations goes bad (preferably after a few beers) telling myself "This happens to even the great ones".

Working the Room Even When the Room Works You - 2009-11-13
Reviewer Rating:
Most people are terrified by the prospect of public speaking. Those who aren't terrified by giving a presentation are often the self-absorbed windbags who inflict upon the beleagured audience an endless diatribe that bores them to death, creating even more unthinkable terror. No wonder the thought of dying is easier to deal with; it's usually less painful.

Scott Berkun understands this, and has compiled a wonderfully engaging perspective on the fine art of public speaking---the "dos" and "don'ts" of working a room. His narrative covers not only his successful strategies; he also goes into hilarious detail on some of his notable speaking disasters, describing what went wrong with refreshing candor and wit. This isn't just a book telling the world what a genius he is; he admits to making more than just a few mistakes along the way, and that seems to work in his favor to keep the reader in his camp.

Berkun covers all aspects of the process; from the configuration of the room itself to the skillful handling of distractions that may occur. A great deal of this stuff never dawned on me; however, you'll be glad it dawned on him if you're ever called upon to give a presentation yourself, someday.

Read this gem and you'll be as prepared as you're going to get before heading to the podium. Just remember to keep it as concise as possible. Cut to the chase, keep it light and breezy and you'll stand a good chance of coming across as favorably as Berkun himself.

Very helpful, insightful and funny! - 2009-11-10
Reviewer Rating:
I was intrigued by the title and it seemed like "lite reading" so I read it. It is an excellent book for speakers - well organized, very good tips and lots of stories that make you want to read more to find more stories! I am a fairly experienced speaker but I found a lot of tips that will help me - can't wait to use them. The stories and experiences aren't just the author's - in fact it seems most of them are from other speakers which makes it even more interesting.

Highly recommended

A lucid, wide-ranging, practical, entertaining read - 2009-11-07
Reviewer Rating:
I read this book in one sitting and recommend it highly.

We all have a voice, we all have inside of us ideas that can help others. But most of us are unfamiliar with the strategies, techniques, and tricks we need in order to disseminate those ideas through public speaking. Confessions of a Public Speaker solves this problem.

In this book Berkun has put together a surprisingly large and diverse trove of information to help us make more effective public speeches. Every page has information that is both useful and non-obvious. I learned a great deal from this book and will pick it up before every public speech I make for the foreseeable future.

(Disclosure: Like Berkun, I'm an O'Reilly author, but I was not involved in the creation of this excellent book.)

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