On Speaking Well

A presidential speechwriter offers practical wisdom and insightful tips in this authoritative guide to writing and giving a speech.

For anyone who fears the thought of writing and giving a speech—be it to business associates, or at a wedding—help is at hand.

Acclaimed presidential speechwriter Peggy Noonan shares her secrets to becoming a confidence, persuasive speaker demystifying topics including:

Finding you own authentic voice

Developing a text that interests you

Acing the all-important first paragraph

Using logic to move your audience

Creating, developing, and reinventing the “core speech” for diverse audiences

Strengthening your speech with a vital element: humor

Winnowing your thoughts down to the essentials

Handling professional jargon, clichés, and the sound bite syndrome

Respecting simplicity and clarity—big ideas need small words

Presenting your speech in the best way

Collecting intellectual income—conversing your speech treasures

Breaking all the rules and still succeeding

Reading for inspiration—how to use the excellence of others

Complete with lessons, tips and memorable examples, On Speaking Well shows us how to create forceful, persuasive, relevant speeches that will resonate with our audiences. Engaging, informative, and always entertaining, this is undoubtedly the authoritative how-to guide for anyone writing or giving a speech.