Now she issues an urgent, heartfelt call for all Americans to see each other anew, realize what time it is, and come together to support the next President—whoever he is. Because it is not the threats and challenges we face, but how we face them that defines us as a nation.

The terrible events of 9/11 brought us together in a way not seen since World War II. But the stresses and divisions of the Bush years have driven us apart to a point that is unhealthy and destructive.

Today, Noonan argues, the national mood is for a change in our politics and it is well past time for politicians to catch up. Americans are tired of the old partisan divisions and the campaign tricks that seek to widen and exploit them. We long for leaders who can summon us to greatness and unity, as they did in the long struggles against fascism and communism.

In this timely little book, written in the pamphleteering tradition of Tom Paine's Common Sense, Noonan reminds us that we must face our common challenges together—not by rising above partisanship, but by reaffirming what it means to be American.

<LI> Developing a text that interest you

<LI> Acing the all-important first paragraph

<LI> Using logic to move your audience

<LI> Creating, developing, and reinventing the "core speech" for diverse audiences

<LI> Strengthening your speech with a vital element: humor

<LI> Winnowing your thought down to the essentials

<LI> Handling professional jargon, clichés, and the sound bite syndrome

<LI> Presenting your speech in the best way

<LI> Collecting intellectual income--conversing your speech treasures

<LI> Breaking all the rules and still succeeding

<LI> 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

A speechwriter for Ronald Reagan who chronicled her own White House experiences in the book What I Saw at the Revolution, Noonan exercises plenty of creative license in these pages, mostly effectively by inventing dialogue, events, and inner thoughts that serve to illustrate Mrs. Clinton's motives and character as Noonan sees them. And the author notes, as have others, that Mrs. Clinton's Senate race is likely just a first step on the road to the White House: "So New York is the battle that may decide the war. This Senate bid has huge implications, not only for New York State but for the nation," she writes. In all, a persuasive case elegantly presented. --Linda Killian

Noonan, the bestselling author of When Character Was King, brings to these articles her unsurpassed powers of description: walking on the streets and riding on the buses of Manhattan in the hours and days following the attack; watching, along with most of the country, the televised reportage, public announcements, expert opinions and tributes; witnessing our "post-incident heartache" and anxiety, as well as the "spirited gaiety of New Yorkers at this time in history." By training our gaze on everyone from firemen, Catholic and Muslim mourners and the President to news anchors, bus drivers and school kids, these essays not only depict America in all its beautiful and diverse strengths but serve as an emblem of such.

At once elegant and tough, elegiac and proud, outraged and tender, full of street smarts and down-home wisdom, this book will help Americans understand their emotional and intellectual responses to those devastating events. For everyone who felt scared, saddened, outraged and humbled but not defeated by the horror of that day, here is a balm and an apt tribute to what we lost and what we learned about ourselves.

Some communications professionals will tell you there are specific gestures to use when you make a speech, particular ways to move your hands or use your voice. I do not think this counsel helpful. Be yourself in your presentation, because although there have already been Vince Lombardis and Dan Rathers and Jesse Jacksons, there has never been a you before. So you might as well be you and have a good time. Authenticity isn't just half the battle, it's a real achievement."

The bestselling author of What I Saw at the Revolution lends her unmistakable voice to the groundbreaking Character Above All audio series with an illuminating examination of one of America's most popular Presidents.

Recorded live at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, Noonan continues a series of lectures delivered by a team of historians, biographers and journalists assembled by Robert Wilson to explore the Presidential character. Sharing their insight into the Presidents they have written about, these authors and scholars address the larger issue of the impact of the Presidential character on leadership and the creation of trust.

Noonan asserts that Ronald Reagan was successful because he didn't become President to "be big," but to "do big things." He knew what he thought and why. With an almost offhand courage, he turned his philosophy into his policies.

Character Above All is incomparable audio, crackling with the energy and excitement of a great mind at work and the intellectual urgency befitting a topic of lasting national importance.