The Gift of the Gab: How Eloquence Works Kindle Edition

Wanted a written reference for ease of looking up stuff.

Looking at the cover I thought this book would be a light and breezy read on how to motivate yourself to become a better speaker. Instead what I found was an admittedly quite well-written college textbook on the subject.I think for a book of this tone (scholastic) there is an excellent balance between lighthearted and exhaustive coverage of the subject matter (you won't get stuck slogging through the subject and will be entertained, but it's definitely deep and comprehensive enough to keep as a reference book.Why four stars?This is a book of the quality that I would grab from the college book storeroom before they get thrown out with the trash, but not a book I would pay $50.00 or $100.00 for and keep forever (though it is certainly a steal at it's listed price). So in other words, it's a great book, but not an AWESOME book (like say, The Edge of Physics, or the college physics textbook I had that was so good I gave it to my father who read it for entertainment value).In other words... this is not the definitive book on the subject, but it's very good.Ironically (or perhaps not?) the best book on Public Speaking (textbook or not) I have ever read is the Ministry School Guidebook that is provided to every Public Minister of my religion.

Crystal gives us a practical and entertaining book on eloquence in public speaking. Indeed, it’s worth reading for the brief anecdote about Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. The guidance offered is clear and easy to use. As I mentioned above, some of the examples are humorous and others are on the intellectual side (Shakespeare, etc.)Crystal defines eloquence as speech that is fluent, personal, appropriate, of heightened artistry, clear, memorable, and responds to feedback.Details on the chapters:CH 1 – Value-added Speech (What is eloquence?)CH 2 – Eloquence Everywhere (Eloquence around the world.)CH 3 – Knowing How (Casual and formal eloquence.)CH 4 – How Long Have I Got? (Planning your talk given the time you have available. Dealing with delays.)CH 5 – Where Will I Be? (Venues; working with a mike; interruptions.)CH 6 – Who Am I Talking To? (To Whom Am I Talking?) (Considering who your audience is.)CH 7 – Who Am I Talking To – Abroad? (Cultural awareness.)CH 8 – What To Say? (Choosing your subject. Open with a story.)CH 9 – When Do You Say It? (Time and attention span.)CH 10 – How Do They Do It? The Memory Game (How listener memory and sentence structure interact.)CH 11 – How Do They Do It? The Rule Of Three (Using triples with structural parallelism, a rhetorical trick)CH 12 – How Do They Do It? Weight-Control (Verb use in long sentances.)CH 13 – How Do They Do It? Order, Order (Order of mention.)CH 14 – How Do They Do It? Variation (Start low and build up or use peaks & troughs)CH 15 – How Do They Do It? Being Natural (Giving the impression of spontaneity via features of everyday speech.)CH 16 – Sounding – Natural (Voiced hesitation and pitch.)CH 17 – Rates of Exchange (Speed of speech)CH 18 – The Melody Lingers On (Intonation increases appeal and understanding.)CH 19 – Build-Ups, Beats, And Breaks (Loudness & Rhythm. Varying loudness to produce eloquence.)CH 20 – Paralanguage (Tone of voice – whisper, audible breath, huskiness, nasality, etc.; physical gestures; body language; eye contact.)CH 21 – Mind Your Technology (Visual aids; dealing with technology difficulties.)CH 22 – Talking About Content… (The subheadings in this chapter are introducing a speaker; thanking a speaker; opening an event; presenting an award; receiving an award; making a toast; speaking at a school speech day; giving an after-dinner speech; giving a family speech on a happy occasion; giving a family speech on a sad occasion; speaking at a wedding; speaking to a club or society; giving a lecture or conference presentation; making a political speech; contributing to a debate; distance broadcasting; podcasting and vodcasting; making a live video presentation; and making an impromptu speech.)CH 23 – Reading It (Modifying your notes to help you read eloquently.)CH 24 – Nerve Ending (Dealing with anxiety.)CH 25 – Homo eloquens (Anyone can be eloquent.)Crystal’s book is a pretty quick read and is great for either reading through once and also for going through piece by piece as you work on your speech. Another book you may be interested in is Steven Pinker’s The Sense of Style. Pinker’s book is far longer and more complex and it is more focused on the written word. Still, there are plenty of relationships between spoken language and written language and both books are useful whether you will be communicating with speech or writing.

I've heard that some people fear public speaking more than death. I'm somewhere on that spectrum, although I guess I'd rather be behind a podium than have someone else behind it eulogizing me. In his book, Mr. Crystal picks apart what makes for effective and, as he terms it, eloquent speech. Some of what he says is common sense (prepare ahead of time, recite out loud in preparation, preview the room setup, etc.). But much of what he has to say has to do with what specific factors can make the spoken word so powerful.To make each of his points, Mr. Crystal uses numerous examples of speeches we've all heard, or can easily call up online; for example, Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. Throughout the book, he primarily refers to President Obama's election victory address -- the so-called "Yes we can" speech. Picking apart this speech, the author examines the elements that please the ear and ease listeners' comprehension. He points out the speech's artful phrasing, the deliberate pauses and the varied speed of the words. (Kudos to the speechwriters!)Even if you never have occasion to make a public speech, Mr. Crystal's book is a worthwhile read. Much of what he says can be applied to the written word. For example, he examines the most effective place in a sentence to put a verb and where to place the information you want readers (or listeners) to remember. You can even apply his strategies to musical endeavors -- he tells you how to memorize a speech (or piece of music) so that you can easily continue if you've lost your place."I believe that anyone with normal language skills has the gift of the gab," Mr. Crystal concludes. I'm not sure I agree with this statement, if my lifelong struggle is any indication, but if you put the suggestions in this book into practice, you might just stop pleading for death to release you from the spotlight.

The Gift of the Gab is a book all about eloquence, what this is, how to develop it and how to use it. As in all skills, there are tricks that can be used to enhance what we all have and this book explains carefully and fully and, as importantly, in language that is easily understood what makes a speech, talk eloquent.Thoroughly recommended for everyone, particularly for those to whom communication or the teaching of communication is important.

This is the book I wish someone had given me to read 20 years ago. As someone who has lectured at home and abroad I have learned the hard way many of the lessons contained within, but still found many 'pearls' to take away. I read it in 3 sittings (a function of David Crystal's brilliant, compelling conversational style) and will return to it as a guide the next tine I am asked to speak.

Great book, a real pager turner. Would highly reccomend it to anyone interested in public speaking or interested in learning more about public speaking/speech writing techniques. I will never watch political speakers give speeches the same way ever again!

Just read It will flow before you.....nothing electric... No gimmicks I could hear. It finished when he had nothing more to say

Bought for my son who is in sales he loved it