How to Speak in Public

Alexander Craig is a freelance journalist in Lennoxville, Quebec.

“Stand up, speak up, and shut up.” We’re all familiar with one of the shorter guides to public speaking. But why do how-to books on this activity continue to come out with a frequency not too far behind dieting, dressing for success, and various other public and private activities?

The answer can only be demand. The market can bear it because it’s such an important business, yet we’re nearly all of us nervous to some degree or other about it. Therefore, go out and buy a book.

Main’s book — it’s astonishing the title hasn’t been used before, one more achievement for Hurtig’s enterprise — is among the better of such guides. It talks to the reader, rather than down or above or beyond or around. The style is very chatty.

The author is gently humorous, giving us some good jokes and plenty of good hints. A lot of public speaking can be summed up in the words of the Boy Scout motto, Be Prepared, but many of us are so busy and preoccupied that reminders can be distinctly useful (for instance, don’t try to edit on your feet).

There are many interesting anecdotes and illustrations. The importance of watching your physical movements, for example, is underlined by watching the way Rich Little works.

Whether you’re a novice or an experienced speaker, there’s a lot to learn from this book. As the blurb says, “There are few occasions as inspiring as a presentation by an informed, confident, and well-prepared speaker.” That’s true, and if you want to aim to be included sometimes among the select company, this book could prove very helpful.