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The Gift of the Gab: How Eloquence Works
We all know eloquence when we hear it. But what exactly is it? And how might we gain more of it for ourselves? This entertaining and, yes, eloquent book illuminates the power of language from a linguistic point of view and provides fascinating insights into the way we use words. David Crystal, a world-renowned expert on the history and usage of the English language, probes the intricate workings of eloquence. His lively analysis encompasses everyday situations (wedding speeches, business presentations, storytelling) as well as the oratory of great public gatherings. Crystal focuses on the here and now of eloquent speaking—from pitch, pace, and prosody to jokes, appropriateness, and how to wield a microphone. He explains what is going on moment by moment and examines each facet of eloquence. He also investigates topics such as the way current technologies help or hinder our verbal powers, the psychological effects of verbal excellence, and why certain places or peoples are thought to be more eloquent than others. In the core analysis of the book, Crystal offers an extended and close dissection of Barack Obama’s electrifying “Yes we can” speech of 2008, in which the president demonstrated full mastery of virtually every element of eloquence—from the simple use of parallelism and an awareness of what not to say, to his brilliant conclusion constructed around two powerful dreams and answers.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 17, 2016
44 people are currently reading
729 people want to read
About the author
David Crystal
230 books771 followersDavid Crystal works from his home in Holyhead, North Wales, as a writer, editor, lecturer, and broadcaster. Born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland in 1941, he spent his early years in Holyhead. His family moved to Liverpool in 1951, and he received his secondary schooling at St Mary's College. He read English at University College London (1959-62), specialised in English language studies, did some research there at the Survey of English Usage under Randolph Quirk (1962-3), then joined academic life as a lecturer in linguistics, first at Bangor, then at Reading. He published the first of his 100 or so books in 1964, and became known chiefly for his research work in English language studies, in such fields as intonation and stylistics, and in the application of linguistics to religious, educational and clinical contexts, notably in the development of a range of linguistic profiling techniques for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. He held a chair at the University of Reading for 10 years, and is now Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. These days he divides his time between work on language and work on internet applications.
source: http://www.davidcrystal.com/
source: http://www.davidcrystal.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 2, 2018
We have all been in situations where someone has just stood up to speak and by the third sentence in, your eyes are drooping and after five minutes their droning noise is only just louder than your snoring… And yet there are others who can stand up and speak for 30 or 40 minutes and whose every word is captivating and interesting, leaving you wanting to hear more.
So how do these people do it?
The man best placed to answer this is the linguist David Crystal. Using the electrifying “Yes we can” speech of 2008 by Barack Obama he analyses the essential elements of public speaking, from the pitch to the pace and rhythm, when to make a joke and when to interject a dramatic pause, the best technologies to use and that fine line between eloquence and verbosity.
Whilst most people who pick this up are not going to be speaking to millions, there is something in here for anyone who has to do any form of public speaking, for those that have to speak to colleagues, peer groups and at family gatherings. The little interludes between the chapters are amusing, offering a little light relief in between the detailed breakdown of the best way to enhance your public speaking.
So how do these people do it?
The man best placed to answer this is the linguist David Crystal. Using the electrifying “Yes we can” speech of 2008 by Barack Obama he analyses the essential elements of public speaking, from the pitch to the pace and rhythm, when to make a joke and when to interject a dramatic pause, the best technologies to use and that fine line between eloquence and verbosity.
Whilst most people who pick this up are not going to be speaking to millions, there is something in here for anyone who has to do any form of public speaking, for those that have to speak to colleagues, peer groups and at family gatherings. The little interludes between the chapters are amusing, offering a little light relief in between the detailed breakdown of the best way to enhance your public speaking.
October 19, 2016
This is a useful book for a beginner speaker, for someone who wants to speak publicly but feels he or she is incapable, untrained or poorly equipped for it. For an experienced public speaker like myself, it offers too little advice and says almost nothing I didn't know already. However, this is a very good introductory course in this very important subject; for some reason (I now realize) it says almost nothing about speeches at scholarly conferences, one of the most frequent forms of public speech I have ever come across, something that should be quite familiar to Mr. Crystal; is it because they belong to a different universe and are not evaluated like public speeches at all? That's strange.
Of the advice he offers, some of the things that he emphasizes more than others are: keep in touch with the audience, turn your head, speak to an object hanging just above the heads of the far row; always be prepared that your equipment will not work; test the audio (and the way it is set up — what kind of mike you have and so on) thoroughly. The analysis of Obama's 2008 victory speech in Chicago is quite interesting, and generally the book reads very well.
Of the advice he offers, some of the things that he emphasizes more than others are: keep in touch with the audience, turn your head, speak to an object hanging just above the heads of the far row; always be prepared that your equipment will not work; test the audio (and the way it is set up — what kind of mike you have and so on) thoroughly. The analysis of Obama's 2008 victory speech in Chicago is quite interesting, and generally the book reads very well.
April 30, 2019
Amazing. Simply a must for anyone who wants to give a toast, open an event, speak about your passions to a crowd, or conquor the world.
Eloquence. That little something that makes speeches amazing, and arguments friendly. A great read.
What is really, truly peculiar is that the author, famed speaker that he is, doesn't narrate his book. lol
Eloquence. That little something that makes speeches amazing, and arguments friendly. A great read.
What is really, truly peculiar is that the author, famed speaker that he is, doesn't narrate his book. lol
February 7, 2017
As mentioned in an earlier review, The Gift of the Gab has moments of greatness and moments of blandness. In my opinion, far more moments of the latter.
It was my (admittedly naive) expectation that the book would provide an in-depth exploration of the number of different techniques that great speakers use and of recent research published in the area of public speaking. In reality, it provided a collection of many common sense revelations. I.e.; Avoid using "um" numerous times over, don't turn your back to the audience, practice what you want to say before you say it. In other words, all things that someone should be able to find in a condensed article titled "What Not To Do When Speaking in Public" versus a 220 page book.
Lack of energy throughout the book was also an annoyance for me, as well as the disorganization within chapters. While the material was divided pretty coherently, there were multiple occasions in which I felt chapters were rambling on through anecdotes. On the upside, the second half of the book provided more interesting bits of information than the first. I enjoyed the breakdown of Obama's 2008 victory speech. Conclusion: Useful for someone who has had limited public speaking experience and is looking to start somewhere.
It was my (admittedly naive) expectation that the book would provide an in-depth exploration of the number of different techniques that great speakers use and of recent research published in the area of public speaking. In reality, it provided a collection of many common sense revelations. I.e.; Avoid using "um" numerous times over, don't turn your back to the audience, practice what you want to say before you say it. In other words, all things that someone should be able to find in a condensed article titled "What Not To Do When Speaking in Public" versus a 220 page book.
Lack of energy throughout the book was also an annoyance for me, as well as the disorganization within chapters. While the material was divided pretty coherently, there were multiple occasions in which I felt chapters were rambling on through anecdotes. On the upside, the second half of the book provided more interesting bits of information than the first. I enjoyed the breakdown of Obama's 2008 victory speech. Conclusion: Useful for someone who has had limited public speaking experience and is looking to start somewhere.
May 23, 2023
A functional if unexciting guide to the art of public speaking.
January 6, 2020
Anyone who presents regularly understands eloquence is not innate. It is a learned skill requiring much practice. Indeed, it can be compared to acting in that public speaking requires rehearsing and even choreography.
The Gift of the Gab: How Eloquence Works by David Crystal is a useful reminder of some of the things to get right for public speakers. While the book is comprised of many short chapters making it easier to read, it is also filled with complex technical advice about eloquence. In other words, Crystal uses his background as a linguist to good use during the book.
It’s not only about the language but also delivery. Delivery includes pauses, hand motions, posture, tones and a whole lot more. Crystal touches on all of them in his book.
Crystal also uses examples to highlight every section of the book. To be sure, the book is US centric in that the prime example of an ideal speech which recurs throughout is former president Obama’s ‘Yes We Can’ speech in Chicago, USA. Obama’s speech, along with Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, are even added to the appendix for reference.
The Gift of the Gab is not the best place for a newbie to start learning about presentation skills – a mite technical for that. However, it will certainly help anyone improve who makes an effort to implement Crystal’s advice.
__________________
Imran can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.
The Gift of the Gab: How Eloquence Works by David Crystal is a useful reminder of some of the things to get right for public speakers. While the book is comprised of many short chapters making it easier to read, it is also filled with complex technical advice about eloquence. In other words, Crystal uses his background as a linguist to good use during the book.
It’s not only about the language but also delivery. Delivery includes pauses, hand motions, posture, tones and a whole lot more. Crystal touches on all of them in his book.
Crystal also uses examples to highlight every section of the book. To be sure, the book is US centric in that the prime example of an ideal speech which recurs throughout is former president Obama’s ‘Yes We Can’ speech in Chicago, USA. Obama’s speech, along with Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, are even added to the appendix for reference.
The Gift of the Gab is not the best place for a newbie to start learning about presentation skills – a mite technical for that. However, it will certainly help anyone improve who makes an effort to implement Crystal’s advice.
__________________
Imran can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.
April 12, 2019
Enjoyable, interesting, informative and lively. Didn't always seem super-relevant to my (admittedly limited) needs - although the next time I'm delivering a speech at an academic conference in Tokyo, I may have to revisit this review. Still, plenty of valuable insights, and I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of eurocentricity that is often found in books on eloquence. Plus the author refers to Akala as a lyrical genius, which gets him some kudos!
February 14, 2021
David Crystal uses the acceptance speech of Barak Obama and the I have a Dream speech of M.L.King to illustrate techniques of making public talks stronger. The book is a conversational tutorial on intonation, repetition, rhythm, pace and other tricks of the "eloquence" trade. I wish I'd read something similar when I was 40, so that I would have been less reluctant, over the next 40 years to speak in public on the few things I know something about. But I recommend the book to anyone interested in the majesty and melody of language whether they want to make speeches or not.
August 29, 2024
David Crystal is one of my favorite linguists. Here, he analyzes what makes certain speech eloquent, what makes it resonate, what makes it memorable. Some things seem obvious, like appropriate repetition of certain elements, but there were a few that I have never considered. I like the fact that it’s not a how-to. Instead, it’s a study of eloquence as a phenomenon.
June 29, 2024
3,5 stars have known Crystal from his work on Shakespeare, and from Ben Crystal, his son who is an actor; do check out their understanding of Shakespeare’s plays in ‘OP’ or original pronunciation; as for this book on language, speech, rhetoric; the analyses of Obama’s speeches were insightful and worth the listen/read; the overall style is a bit grandpa-ish.
February 4, 2017
I bought this books purely on the strength of the fact that I had read a couple if the author's books before, and liked them. I have little interest in public speaking, and my career as a computer programmer does not require it of me. However, just as the teacher can be more important than the subject in determining how much you like a class, the author can be more important than the topic or story of the book they write. So it was with this one.
David Crystal is someone who thinks about (and writes about) language a lot, and sometimes, he talks about it. This gives him a linguist's perspective on the topic of eloquence, and also a public speaker's perspective, and the combination of the two is what makes this book interesting. It occurs to me, that if every botanist were a farmer, every physicist were an engineer, and every economist were a small business owner, we might have very different theories in those three fields.
Some of Crystal's advice has nothing to do with linguistics, of course. Some of it is about things like having a backup method of presenting your slides, in case the one they told you would be working, is not. Or, the perils of turning your back on the audience to look at your slides, instead of watching the audience to see how they are reacting. But even in these cases, the way in which the human mind processes spoken and written language (or fails to) informs his discussion. It's a quite satisfying mix of theory and application, of the sort which we do not often enough see in our hyper-specialized world.
He covers a wide range of different scenarios, from academic presentation at a conference, to best man's toast at a wedding, to speaking for a radio program or podcast (where you cannot see or hear your audience). For each, he has advice and perspective which strikes me as sound, those most of these situations I have never faced, and some of them I would never wish to. Nonetheless, in the same way that reading about how a general might plan a military campaign, or a pilot might control a jet airplane, or a neurosurgeon might attempt to remove a brain tumor without causing undue damage to the rest of the patient's brain, it was intriguing to read about how I might wish to prepare for public speaking, if it were to become necessary. If Crystal's oratory is as good as his prose, his audience is very lucky indeed.
David Crystal is someone who thinks about (and writes about) language a lot, and sometimes, he talks about it. This gives him a linguist's perspective on the topic of eloquence, and also a public speaker's perspective, and the combination of the two is what makes this book interesting. It occurs to me, that if every botanist were a farmer, every physicist were an engineer, and every economist were a small business owner, we might have very different theories in those three fields.
Some of Crystal's advice has nothing to do with linguistics, of course. Some of it is about things like having a backup method of presenting your slides, in case the one they told you would be working, is not. Or, the perils of turning your back on the audience to look at your slides, instead of watching the audience to see how they are reacting. But even in these cases, the way in which the human mind processes spoken and written language (or fails to) informs his discussion. It's a quite satisfying mix of theory and application, of the sort which we do not often enough see in our hyper-specialized world.
He covers a wide range of different scenarios, from academic presentation at a conference, to best man's toast at a wedding, to speaking for a radio program or podcast (where you cannot see or hear your audience). For each, he has advice and perspective which strikes me as sound, those most of these situations I have never faced, and some of them I would never wish to. Nonetheless, in the same way that reading about how a general might plan a military campaign, or a pilot might control a jet airplane, or a neurosurgeon might attempt to remove a brain tumor without causing undue damage to the rest of the patient's brain, it was intriguing to read about how I might wish to prepare for public speaking, if it were to become necessary. If Crystal's oratory is as good as his prose, his audience is very lucky indeed.
January 6, 2017
The Gift of the Gab has moments of greatness and moments of blandness. Overall it is a good book about public speaking. He uses a lot of anecdotes and lessons about public speaking. If you either consistently speak in public or want to want to prepare to in the future, you will learn valuable lessons.
To get into more detail:
His analysis of Barack Obama's 2008 speech and MLK's I Have a Dream Speech gave good insights on historic pieces of rhetoric and showed how public speaking, when eloquent, can move people like nothing else.
His stories were entertaining and supported his points.
His sections on tone and pitch were really hard to get through because it's hard to get a sense of that when you are just reading some words. I would rather watch a video demonstration and lecture, not a chapter in a book I am reading before bed.
He spoke about rhetoric in a way that was really off-putting, considering that's part of his target audience. Eloquence and persuasion are indeed different, but he compared it in a way that made it sound like he did not respect the work of rhetoricians and what they study.
This is a short read and very easy to get through (except the 15 percent of it talking about tone and pitch) and is a solid manual on public speaking. But it is an introductory book, not a book that will change the field of public speaking.
To get into more detail:
His analysis of Barack Obama's 2008 speech and MLK's I Have a Dream Speech gave good insights on historic pieces of rhetoric and showed how public speaking, when eloquent, can move people like nothing else.
His stories were entertaining and supported his points.
His sections on tone and pitch were really hard to get through because it's hard to get a sense of that when you are just reading some words. I would rather watch a video demonstration and lecture, not a chapter in a book I am reading before bed.
He spoke about rhetoric in a way that was really off-putting, considering that's part of his target audience. Eloquence and persuasion are indeed different, but he compared it in a way that made it sound like he did not respect the work of rhetoricians and what they study.
This is a short read and very easy to get through (except the 15 percent of it talking about tone and pitch) and is a solid manual on public speaking. But it is an introductory book, not a book that will change the field of public speaking.
April 13, 2016
After an initial reading of the online book description I got this book thinking it would help with my writing. Instead, the "focus in this book [is] eloquence as manifested in speech." But since I regularly have to speak in public (usually in church settings) I found much to appreciate in this book.
David Crystal has a great voice in his writing. He comes across as very conversational and easy to read. He addresses issues such as how long you have to speak, who your audience is and what the venue will be, and what to say. He covers different audiences (home or abroad) as well as how to sound natural. But he also goes into how you say things, such as the "rule of three," weighting your words, and the order you say things. Throughout he refers to famous speeches - most often Obama's "Yes we can" victory speech - to illustrate what he means. The entire speech, as well as Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, are included at the end of the book.
This is an excellent book that covers many different speaking opportunities, whether an informal wedding speech or a more formal address before a large gathering. It's an easy and clear read and gave me a lot to consider - even though I always thought I did a pretty good job before, I realized I can do better.
David Crystal has a great voice in his writing. He comes across as very conversational and easy to read. He addresses issues such as how long you have to speak, who your audience is and what the venue will be, and what to say. He covers different audiences (home or abroad) as well as how to sound natural. But he also goes into how you say things, such as the "rule of three," weighting your words, and the order you say things. Throughout he refers to famous speeches - most often Obama's "Yes we can" victory speech - to illustrate what he means. The entire speech, as well as Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, are included at the end of the book.
This is an excellent book that covers many different speaking opportunities, whether an informal wedding speech or a more formal address before a large gathering. It's an easy and clear read and gave me a lot to consider - even though I always thought I did a pretty good job before, I realized I can do better.
August 14, 2016
I won a copy of this from Goodreads and wanted to say a few works about the book.
It is a sustained treatment of eloquence with both in terms of an unpacking of the concepts and a practical guide to thinking about the concept. At first I was worried that the book would be tedious but it is well-paced (like a good speech) and the discussion builds on itself. If you're only looking for practical advice there may be other books but if you want to think well about eloquence this is a good book. Crystal is quite prolific and this work feels like a piece of a larger body of writing and thinking. I'm not sure that there's much more that a book on eloquence can do. The best practical advice I'm taking away from the book is the suggestion to write talks as modules that can be excised and paced depending upon how a talk unfolds.
It is a sustained treatment of eloquence with both in terms of an unpacking of the concepts and a practical guide to thinking about the concept. At first I was worried that the book would be tedious but it is well-paced (like a good speech) and the discussion builds on itself. If you're only looking for practical advice there may be other books but if you want to think well about eloquence this is a good book. Crystal is quite prolific and this work feels like a piece of a larger body of writing and thinking. I'm not sure that there's much more that a book on eloquence can do. The best practical advice I'm taking away from the book is the suggestion to write talks as modules that can be excised and paced depending upon how a talk unfolds.
May 19, 2017
4.5/5 stars.
Crystal writes in a conversational, yet informative style that makes this book a really enjoyable read. His stories and analogies about the eloquence of public speaking were witty and engaging, and I'd definitely recommend this to anyone with even the smallest interest in linguistics or speech-making.
Crystal writes in a conversational, yet informative style that makes this book a really enjoyable read. His stories and analogies about the eloquence of public speaking were witty and engaging, and I'd definitely recommend this to anyone with even the smallest interest in linguistics or speech-making.
July 1, 2016
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.
The Gift of the Gab: How Eloquence Works is packed with so much information. It is well written and I thoroughly enjoyed and learned so much from it. It will remain in my personal library at my office. I plan on buying a copy for the professional section of the library that I run.
The Gift of the Gab: How Eloquence Works is packed with so much information. It is well written and I thoroughly enjoyed and learned so much from it. It will remain in my personal library at my office. I plan on buying a copy for the professional section of the library that I run.
October 30, 2016
I enjoyed reading this very educational text. I would love to hear Mr. Crystal's opinion on Mr. Trump's speeches on his campaign for president.
January 23, 2018
Mini Book Review (Instagram @alivetradition)
“Hearing is a passive state; listening is active - hearing with attention. And it can be tiring.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
At my Primary School Mrs Pelican (from America, I think) gave us all speech classes. We learnt how to read the Bible out loud, memorise poetry and tell impromptu stories. And we all had to enter into “THE EISTEDDFOD” - a cut throat country competition held at the local town hall. This was one of the most valuable skills to learn from a young age, and I honestly wished I continued growing in these skills as I love public speaking. There aren’t many quality preaching books I’ve come across that focuses just on the delivery part, so I’ve had to widen my reading.
The Gift of the Gab gets to the nitty gritty in speaking, such as variation and weight control. It made me question how much of what I admire in good speakers is natural gifting and how much is intentional learning on their behalf. David Crystal also includes preaching in some examples, but seems from a more reserved and traditional ‘Church of England’ perspective (but still helpful). The most valuable for me was learning different ways to layout a speech for reading. Eventually I want to transition from full-text sermons, but in the meantime this is helpful. I am looking forward to having a go, the next time I preach! What’s missing? Other than attend Eton, I would like to know how to grow in everyday eloquence.
“In many churches it’s customary at a certain point in the service to list those members of the congregation who are sick or who have died. It’s a common experience to hear readers going through the names at a rate of knots. When I’m training church leaders I make them say each name with a falling tone, followed by a pause. It gives the names an individuality, a presence. After all, if the aim of the exercise is to get the congregation to remember and/or pray for these people, then they need to be given a fragment of time in which to do so.”
“Hearing is a passive state; listening is active - hearing with attention. And it can be tiring.”
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
At my Primary School Mrs Pelican (from America, I think) gave us all speech classes. We learnt how to read the Bible out loud, memorise poetry and tell impromptu stories. And we all had to enter into “THE EISTEDDFOD” - a cut throat country competition held at the local town hall. This was one of the most valuable skills to learn from a young age, and I honestly wished I continued growing in these skills as I love public speaking. There aren’t many quality preaching books I’ve come across that focuses just on the delivery part, so I’ve had to widen my reading.
The Gift of the Gab gets to the nitty gritty in speaking, such as variation and weight control. It made me question how much of what I admire in good speakers is natural gifting and how much is intentional learning on their behalf. David Crystal also includes preaching in some examples, but seems from a more reserved and traditional ‘Church of England’ perspective (but still helpful). The most valuable for me was learning different ways to layout a speech for reading. Eventually I want to transition from full-text sermons, but in the meantime this is helpful. I am looking forward to having a go, the next time I preach! What’s missing? Other than attend Eton, I would like to know how to grow in everyday eloquence.
“In many churches it’s customary at a certain point in the service to list those members of the congregation who are sick or who have died. It’s a common experience to hear readers going through the names at a rate of knots. When I’m training church leaders I make them say each name with a falling tone, followed by a pause. It gives the names an individuality, a presence. After all, if the aim of the exercise is to get the congregation to remember and/or pray for these people, then they need to be given a fragment of time in which to do so.”
February 22, 2023
This is interesting enough, but it covers only the very basics of rhetoric and structuring talks, and even though I regularly give talks, it doesn't feel like it will give me a huge amount of insight that will improve my skill at it. I am also not even entirely confident that the analysis is right, because a lot of it is based on "case studies", with very impactful speeches. Some of that seems like it will be hugely selection effects, and some of it is down to circumstances (the circumstances of Obama's acceptance speech are way more important than the content).
The book doesn't really address something that might be useful for more people, which is everyday fluency and eloquence.
I also was kind of hoping for less of an instruction manual and more of a linguistic analysis of exactly what eloquence is, how well-defined of a concept it could be, and the different dimensions of eloquence. There was maybe a little of that, but it was mostly lacking.
2.5 of 5 stars
The book doesn't really address something that might be useful for more people, which is everyday fluency and eloquence.
I also was kind of hoping for less of an instruction manual and more of a linguistic analysis of exactly what eloquence is, how well-defined of a concept it could be, and the different dimensions of eloquence. There was maybe a little of that, but it was mostly lacking.
2.5 of 5 stars
January 24, 2025
David Crystal is my favorite linguist. Doesn't everyone have a favorite linguist?
This book was more about talking than writing or reading. But since it's about speeches, those have to be written down first, which means there is writing involved. I was surprised to learn that two of the eloquent tools, pairs and threes, are something I have ingrained in my writing. The pairs make a sentence come alive with a comparison. The threes, aka a list of three things, is something I use to stay on a subject longer, to delve into it deeper, and add a bit of comic relieve at the end. (See what I did there?)
I especially like how he used Obama's inaugural speech to highlight what he was talking about. I miss having an eloquent president...
This book was more about talking than writing or reading. But since it's about speeches, those have to be written down first, which means there is writing involved. I was surprised to learn that two of the eloquent tools, pairs and threes, are something I have ingrained in my writing. The pairs make a sentence come alive with a comparison. The threes, aka a list of three things, is something I use to stay on a subject longer, to delve into it deeper, and add a bit of comic relieve at the end. (See what I did there?)
I especially like how he used Obama's inaugural speech to highlight what he was talking about. I miss having an eloquent president...
October 11, 2025
David Crystal, for long a towering figure in the world of linguistics, is himself an excellent and entertaining speaker, so he has written this book after a lifetime of experience of public speaking. I’d misunderstood what the book was about - expecting it to deal with eloquence in conversational speaking. This meant that I’ve been somewhat disappointed that the focus is quite different,
A lot of what he has written is common sense, though that doesn’t detract from its usefulness. The book is a very useful one for people setting out on a lifetime of public speaking of one kind or another, only somewhat less so if, like me, you no longer have a need to speak in public.
A lot of what he has written is common sense, though that doesn’t detract from its usefulness. The book is a very useful one for people setting out on a lifetime of public speaking of one kind or another, only somewhat less so if, like me, you no longer have a need to speak in public.
February 26, 2021
Public speaking is no easy feat, and many speakers have probably left us zoning off after the first few minutes for lack of engagement or eloquence.
Crystal discusses the elements of eloquence and engagement, strategies to help an impactful statement sink in and useful tools to signal a change from one point to another.
He also reminds us that smooth delivery isn’t just about speaking itself, but the equipment used in that delivery as well.
Overall, an informative read with many pertinent points for application.
Crystal discusses the elements of eloquence and engagement, strategies to help an impactful statement sink in and useful tools to signal a change from one point to another.
He also reminds us that smooth delivery isn’t just about speaking itself, but the equipment used in that delivery as well.
Overall, an informative read with many pertinent points for application.
February 4, 2022
For the philologist David Crystal, rhetoric does not lie in specific discourses, but we can find it in all our speech, even the very ordinary that we use in our vernacular language. Towards the idea, persuasion does not come by the length of the word or its shortness, but by what it contains of attractive and influential meanings, in a way that helps the atmosphere to produce that attraction through the use of appropriate and creative tools in order to reach the meaning in the best form.
March 12, 2019
This is very, very good. A detailed - and practical - analysis of what makes speakers sound eloquent. A very quick read (short chapters with brief interludes to reinforce ideas), and I'd recommend it heartily to anyone with an interest in public speaking - or just sounding like they know what they're on about.
December 5, 2020
Ok sort of introduction to eloquence - not rhetorics - to deliver good, memorable speeches even, ideally, without transactional influencing. Too much of political examples, that too recent ones, dilute the core messages. Some good moments, e.g., difference between fillers and voiced hesitation, velocity - words per minute in good speeches etc
August 25, 2025
An entertaining course in speaking that outdoes a lot of other advice out there. I especially enjoyed more closely examining rhythm and poetic language, and hearing examples from famous speeches. I listened to the audiobook read by a masterful narrator, and will probably get a paper copy to refer to time and again.
March 28, 2019
Crystal covers the fundamentals of linguistics and how it captures attention. Often what is simple is overlooked and Crystal does not overlook key points on thesis, sequence, rhythm, and demographics. This is excellent reference material.
March 29, 2019
The first David Crystal book that didn't have me utterly enthralled. It was still a good read, but more of a 'how to' on public speaking, rather than a casual discussion on the quirks and curiosities of language.
July 4, 2019
This was an excellent little book that will absolutely help me become more cognizant about my public speaking and boost confidence. I will most likely be introducing portions of this book to my classroom next school year.
February 8, 2024
I found every chapter of this book interesting, but for me the most interesting chapters in this book for me were those on memory and intonation. Crystal expresses complex ideas clearly and simply with memorable examples. A pleasure to read.
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