Develop Self-Confidence, Improve Public Speaking

by Dale Carnegie

The book focuses on ‘How to open a talk’, ‘How to close a talk’, ‘Essential elements of Successful speaking’, ‘How to improve memory’, ‘Secret of good delivery’, ‘How to spell bound your audience’. The book consists of many such techniques for the improvement of Public speaking. If you wish to make the most of your individuality, go before your audience rested. A tired man is not magnetic nor attractive. A must read book to continually improve your speaking skills, public speaking skills, conversation skills, and boost self-confidence. Also, helpful in making impromptu speech.

Genres: Self Help

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 19, 2020

About the author

Dale Carnegie was an American writer and teacher of courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills. Born into poverty on a farm in Missouri, he was the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936), a bestseller that remains popular today. He also wrote How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (1948), Lincoln the Unknown (1932), and several other books.
One of the core ideas in his books is that it is possible to change other people's behavior by changing one's behavior towards them.

Reviews

[Sathish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a companion to Carnegie's other classic, "How to Win Friends and Influence People". So some of the anectodes, passages, and principles are shared (such as Carnegie's fascination with the life of ex-US president Abraham Lincoln). And the reading of both books offers a complementary set of ideas and skills that share the same aim: learning to deal with other people, publicly and privately.

Not only is this a comprenhensive guide to developing the art of public speaking (a job it performs as it should: offering an emphasis on practice and practical, specific advice)...but by trying to solve that particular problem so ambitiously, it ends up offering the solutions an endless set of areas of life.

This book is, escentially, a discussion of every problem that involves the process of gathering and communicating ideas. "Gathering and communicating ideas"... it is what these days gets mistakingly refered to as "the creative process". Every form of art and design, from writting, to drawing, to acting, falls into this cathegory of "gathering ideas and then communicating them to an audience".

If you engage in one of these "creative activities"...have you ever gone through an "art block"? that frustrating mental block that inhabilates your action and stops you from generating ideas/putting them on paper? well, thinking of a speech in real-time is a race that makes you jump through the same hurdles. The methods described to make speeches here, effectively deal with those same barriers. By consciously applying those techniques, you could theorically overcome any "art block" that gets in the way.

Ever been gotten stuck while learning *something*? preparing a speech requires proper *internalization* of the material, and this book covers tons of methods for internalization and deep understanding that are as applicable to speech-making as they are to learning /any/ theorical material.

But at its core, what makes this stand out is its standing, valiant, daring desire to actually, honestly, humbly speak about that (much mentioned, but seldom defined) concept known as "human nature".

The author goes to great leghts to identify what is it that makes people *tick*.

What are the principles that rule our lives and that will make us *do* things- like let someone give us a lecture? what makes people INTERESTED in things? if we make the conscious descision to understand those principles, to disect them and review them fearlessly, then those principles will be the applicable to every single area of our lives. Whenever we might need to infleunce people to take action, or to win them to our way of thinking... to make our ideas clear; or simply to entertain...that whole process is described so beautifully and thoughtfully that it is what gives this text its trascendential quality.
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The one flaw in this text (not nearly as evident in HTWFAIP) is the same present in most other western classics of the 20th century: it is uncomfortably bigoted. There are a considerable ammount of racist passages and anectodes, and the evangelist christianist perspective gets tiring very quickly. Althought these features aren't prevalent enough to make it un-readable, it does make getting through some reasings slightly more difficult and hinders the overall message sometimes.

(I do not know however if newer editions have been edited to take out said problematic material, which is certainely possible. The book I own was a second-hand copy purchased in a book-fair years ago...and it doesn't even have the year of printing or editorial house!)

With all that said...considering how this book offers solutions to many other problems not inherent to public speaking, it should be obligatory reading to almost anybody who deals in any way with the act of communication, at any point in their lives!

[Edwin Setiadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dale Carnegie’s bread and butter

The last book of the 5 Dale Carnegie books that I have in my possession. And I’m reading it snap bang in the middle of relaxing summer, which for me no reading soothes more than his books.

And this particular book is the stuff that Warren Buffett highly attributed as one of key factors for his success, Carnegie’s bread and butter, his wisdom on public speaking.

Along with the usual Carnegie-esque stories to make his excellent points (that are delightfully old school from his time), the book also provides famous people’s good habit, from Abraham Lincoln’s memory retention to Mark Twain’s note-less speeches to Teddy Roosevelt’s fiery passion on stage.

Here are the key points of the book:

- Preparation is key.
- Do your research.
- Know your audience.
- Keep it clear and consized.
- Provide a clear conclusion.
- The natural law of remembering: vivid impressions, repetition, association.
- Stress important words, subordinate unimportant ones.
- Vary your pitch. Talk like a human and not a monotone robot.
- Vary your rate of speaking.
- Pause before and after important ideas.
- Dress meticulously, even have a winning smile if you can (everything about out appearance will be examined under the microscope).
- Good lighting can go a long way.
- Clear up distractions on the stage that can take away attention from you.
- Avoid technical terms when necessary, especially when talking to outsiders.
- Picture your points, visualised your ideas.
- Take command over your language. Speak meticulously and with class.
- Be well-read so that you can add multiple contexts into your speech.

There’s never a dull moment when it comes to Dale Carnegie books, and this one is no exception.

[Teddy Greffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Improve Your Public Speaking

If you are looking to improve and fine tune your public speaking, this book will help you understand the concepts behind effective speaking, provide great examples of other great speakers and their speeches, and analyse the mindset of what goes behind effective speaking.

[Ajinkya Kale · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW:
Considering the time it was published, you really have to give it to the author. 19th century was a period of institutionalized cliches and Dale Carnegie stood out as a game-changer. His vision was fresh, revolutionary, bold.. almost rebellious! His practical and ‘no-nonsense’ approach was path-breaking. Lots of research and study under his belt and a heap of first-hand accounts make his proposed guidelines authentic and reliable.

The author has denied many conventional public-speaking tactics, citing them as ‘absurd and horrendous’. Dale, rather than assimilating into the hocus-pocus of the art of public speaking, devised a clear-cut process and laid out some concrete, workable strategies for the people. He is brutally honest throughout the course of the book and doesn’t hesitate to criticize what is incoherent.

His rational approach, humble roots, and simplicity earned him fame and recognition in a much shorter span than his counterparts. And today, Dale Carnegie is considered as one of the most influential coaches the world has ever produced.

LANGUAGE:

Carnegie’s words are crisp as a toast and sharp as a sword. His writing style has a touch of discipline and austere that could many a time seem abrupt and edgy. But that doesn’t hinder the course of reading. His refined thinking opens many doors of our speculation and makes us think logically.

I’d also like to express that Dale, being an oratory-expert, is trying much hard to justify his caliber. (Well, he doesn’t need to!) But a majority of the sentences are brimming with many additional, unnecessary words. That makes his fluency verbose; desperate.

CONTEXT:
There are in total 13 chapters, evenly spaced and consisting of equal sub-divisions. I finished this book with a simple strategy which included reading a single chapter per day. Instead of binging, I attempted to absorb the wisdom and let it settle. I suggest you do the same. These lessons are concentrated, full of vigor and color. It is better to read it, reflect it and practice it religiously.

I am not going to summarize anything this time, because I really want you to read this book. I firmly believe that it will bolster your diction.

There are many examples peppered throughout the 256 pages. This is a tact though, and the author himself reveals it. With a plentitude of examples, he keeps us interested and the tempo of the book doesn’t stall a bit.

The instances of key-personalities are enlightening, especially of Abraham Lincoln. One could not help but admire Lincoln genuinely. (I myself developed a peculiar fascination about this great historical figure.) Many political leaders and their statements on the ‘art of public speaking’ has been succinctly mentioned- Teddy’ Roosevelt, FDR, Woodrow Wilson, Winston Churchill, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, being some of the examples. One also comes across Albert Einstein, Thomas E. Edison, Shakespeare, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Rudyard Kipling, who holds our already-engaged attention. Even business magnates find a place in the book, such as John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie.

The end marks with a stimulating piece of the Shakespearean play ‘Julius Caesar‘- which professes the incredible power of words and its tremendous influence on people.

WHAT TO TAKE AWAY:
The hard-hitting suggestions will surely help. I can’t find any reason why they won’t. Dale is practical to the core, and that is the backbone of his approach.

Also, he dives deep. Not just the body-language, rhetoric and psychosis, but we are given beforehand indications to analyze a list of factors, viz. audience, lighting, ventilation, speaker-system, room-size, seating arrangement, etc.

All in all, a fulfilling, invigorating read. A must book for professionals, students and all kinds of people who want to ‘talk‘ in front of an audience.

Dale’s works have stood the test of time and that is but a hallmark of a classic. No surprise that his works are consistently ranked among the best-sellers.

Quotes:
“Everyone must work out his own salvation” – Saint Paul

” For the strength of the pack is Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the pack”- Rudyard Kipling

“There is nothing else so interesting as ourselves”- Lord Northcliffe

“Courage is one step ahead of fear” – Coleman Young

“To foresee is to rule” Blaise Pascal

“The best argument is an explanation- Dale Carnegie”

“My ultimate aim would be to captivate an audience, even for a second” – Tabrett Bethel

“You have to respect your audience. Without them, you are essentially standing alone, singing to yourself” – K.D. Lang

“If the audience knew what they wanted then they wouldn’t be the audience, they would be the artist” – Alan Moore

[Zainab Nuseibah · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest this book has been on my book shelf for over 5 years. I bought it after reading “How to Win friends and influence people” by Dale Carnegie, which had a profound effect on me. I felt now was the right time as I was looking for a proper guide to enhance my presentation skills at my corporate job. Genuinely speaking I did not really feel that this book made a huge impact on how I present. It could be because of one main reason, which ironically the writer has already highlighted in his book. There is NO such thing as a set of rules, that one should follow to enhance their speech giving skills.

Before reading the book I had higher expectations, particularly in terms of identifying what I was doing wrong and how to improve. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
That said, I can’t fully criticize Dale Carnegie for this book, especially when it comes to public speaking. The content and the messaging nowadays are increasingly shaped by AI-drive platforms that often lack emotion. They are becoming more rational and factual, at the expense of human individuality. One important reminder from Dale Carnegie was to always add personality and individuality to my speech.

I also thought that the tactics advised by Carnegie to enhance one’s speech, felt a bit outdated. These include:
1. The importance of practicing emphasized in his chapter “PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE”.
2. A good speech consists of a catchy introduction and a strong ending
3. Avoid using numerical values when possible. Instead of describing distance in terms of rods and miles, use comparisons to promote clarity. For instance, rather than stating the distance between points A and B in miles, say it's similar to the distance between two well-known locations. This approach is more relatable for the audience.
4. To memorize your speech, associate the facts with something memorable
5. Aim to include only a few key points in your speech to ensure your audience understands most, if not all, of them.
6. Make sure to dress up presentably

The last two chapters were particularly enjoyable for me. I discovered that many of the words we use every day have romantic origins. For example, the word "company" is derived from the French word "companion," which originally meant someone with whom you share bread. A company, therefore, is essentially a group of people who come together to make bread together. The book offers many other fascinating examples like this.

Additionally, I felt inspired to add Shakespeare's works to my reading list. According to Carnegie, reading Shakespeare can significantly enhance the beauty and refinement of one's diction.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an introductory guide to public speaking. It offers a wealth of information for readers to explore and embark on their public speaking journey.