Speaker's Handbook

Summary: Key features with this book include: Speaker's Notes boxes: which present concise summaries of important information, which will help readers hone in on the key points in each chapter. The importance of ethics and the consequences it has on public speaking are emphasized in the Ethics Alert boxes that appear in each chapter. By offering practical tips on what should and should not be done when making presentations, t...hese boxes build confidence in the student speaker. A handful of chapters and the appendix include sample student speeches that show public speaking skills in action and thus provide readers with models for emulation. Sample speeches, some of which are annotated, include examples of a first speech, topic briefing, informative, persuasive and ceremonial speeches. Interconnections LearnMore boxes at the end of each chapter list Web Sites that expand on the content within each chapter and give readers additional guidance as they prepare their speeches. Each chapter includes Experiment with the Strategies exercises. These hands-on activities allow readers to solidify their comprehension of the book's content. Unlike some public speaking books, the Guidebook's communication apprehension chapter (Chapter 2) addresses speech anxiety early in the book. The chapter helps readers diffuse their nervousness by offering a variety of suggestions for overcoming presentation fears. The Guidebook includes a PowerPoint Presentation tutorial (Chapter 10) to help readers gain a firmer grasp on how to prepare effective PowerPoint slides. The tips and step-by-step instructions will help even the least technologically inclined readers feel self-assured as they use PowerPoint during their speeches. [read more]