The 10 Best Public Speaking Books
This wiki has been updated 27 times since it was first published in February of 2018. Few people are born with the innate ability to stand in front of a huge crowd and deliver a flawless address. For those who need a little help and guidance before putting their ideas out there, these books on public speaking will help you hone your skills for any engagement. Here you'll find volumes that tackle pacing, timing, anxiety, stage fright, and much more. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln
2. Do You Talk Funny?
3. Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences
Editor's Notes
November 05, 2019:
Anyone who has trouble articulating their ideas in public knows how much it can adversely affect everything from your professional life to your personal relationships. From board meetings and wedding toasts, there are a surprising number of times you'll find yourself in the spotlight speaking to others. The books on this list were written to help people of all stripes tackle public speaking issues, from anxiety and stage fright to simply knowing how to pace and organize a speech.
For those who need help in professional settings, books like The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking or Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences are ideal. Because there are so many ins and outs when it comes to conversing in the workplace, it's also worth checking out a business communication textbook if you feel truly lost.
If you struggle with timing and delivery, then consider tomes like Do You Talk Funny? and Confessions of a Public Speaker, which utilize humor and comedy to ease tension and warm audiences.
Those who deal with stage fright and anxiety will find Speaking Up Without Freaking Out especially useful. It uses science-based methods and human psychology in lieu of platitudes to help readers iron out what exactly has them on edge when they get in front of a crowd.
Joining the ranks today is Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln, an inspiring and informative selection that covers how things like pregnant pauses, use of props, and well-timed wit can win over crowds and get them on your side. We also decided to drop Give Your Speech, Change the World, which is a great book for speech-making in particular but doesn't cover many other aspects of public speaking.
4. Confessions of a Public Speaker
5. Speaking Up Without Freaking Out
6. Steal The Show
7. Public Speaking Magic
8. Talk Like TED
9. How to Deliver a TED Talk
10. The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking
Born in Arizona, Gia is a writer and autodidact who fled the heat of the desert for California, where she enjoys drinking beer, overanalyzing the minutiae of life, and channeling Rick Steves. After arriving in Los Angeles a decade ago, she quickly nabbed a copywriting job at a major clothing company and derived years of editing and proofreading experience from her tenure there, all while sharpening her skills further with myriad freelance projects. In her spare time, she teaches herself French and Italian, has earned an ESL teaching certificate, traveled extensively throughout Europe and the United States, and unashamedly devours television shows and books. The result of these pursuits is expertise in fashion, travel, beauty, literature, textbooks, and pop culture, in addition to whatever obsession consumes her next.