Demystifying Public Speaking

A Book Apart #21

by Lara Hogan

Don’t think public speaking is for you? It is—whether you’re bracing for a conference talk or a team meeting. Lara Hogan helps you identify your fears and face them, so you can make your way to the stage (big or small). Get clear, practical advice through every step, from choosing a topic and creating a presentation, to gathering and distilling feedback, to event-day prep. You’ll feel confident and equipped to step into the spotlight.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Self Help, Design, Leadership, Communication, Technology

83 pages, Paperback

Published October 25, 2016

Reviews

[Edaena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Straight to the point, actionable advice on public speaking.
Public speaking is not only about getting on stage and giving a talk, it's also about speaking at a team meeting. It is an important skill to present ideas to your team and convince them about a technical solution.

Lara is great at explaining the importance of public speaking and gives you ideas that you can start using right now to improve in public speaking.

I recommend it to anyone in the tech field, that feels nervous during meetings or has trouble getting heard and communicating effectively. I also recommend it to anyone that things that to give a talk at a tech conference you have to be an expert.

[Mindaugas Mozūras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being onstage is an incredibly vulnerable act.

It is. Luckily, this book gives guidance on how to prepare, give a talk and survive. As I've read other books about public speaking before, not much of it was new to me. It mostly served as a useful reminder, with the section of CFPs being the most exciting and unique to me. Others books didn't delve into actually getting the talk accepted, only in preparing and giving it.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some nice reminders and explanation of process. Found the most eloquent pieces to be quotes of other peoples words. Still a handy quick reference as I go through some of the more rigorous parts of public speaking to a technical audience.

[Tyrone Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed some good advice on things I need to give consideration to when I give my presentation. This was perfect.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's that old slogan? Looks like a snack, eats like a meal. Something like that. Anyhow, Lara's short but thorough book could definitely be described in those terms.

I bought this book because I like and admire Lara and wanted to show my support. I also bought it because I am embarking on my own speaking "career" and am gobbling up all the guidance on speaking that I can get my hands on. In the last few months I've gathered valuable wisdom from Scott Berkun, Kathy Sierra, Catt Small, Erica Joy Baker, Carmine Gallo, Seth Godin, and Nancy Duerte about how to give talks that engage and delight and Lara's book provided yet another valuable perspective. This book stands out for emphasizing inclusiveness and self-care. She doesn't have any hard and fast DON'Ts and she specifically speaks about how being female/femme can be a challenge when even AV equipment is built to male/masculine specifications.

Thanks to Lara for taking the time to share her wisdom and empower the next generation of great speakers and life changing talks!

[Boyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in public speaking, especially if you are in the tech industry, this is the book for you. It’s relatively short and to the point, but in the same time covers the whole process from conception of an idea, trough research and preparation, practice, delivery and even collecting and analyzing feedback.
There are a ton of examples from her experience and also a lot of links to articles that expand on certain topics.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books offers clear and concise guidance for anyone looking to improve their abilities as a public speaker. Whether you're trying to just become more comfortable talking to a small group of people or you're looking to jump on the conference circuit, there is clear cut advice here for even the experienced speaker.

[Bjoern Rochel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect practical companion to Gar Reynolds Presentation Zen and Nancy Duartes Resonate.
Very handy and easy to follow advice.

Since I've already read a lot about public presentations (crafting slides, story-building, body language, etc), I didn't get big new insights from this one. NEVERTHELESS, all the smaller tips and habits made it definitely worth the read.

[Miguel David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demystifying Public Speaking is a book that teaches you how to select a talk, prepare the talk, give the talk and get feedback. It's short and well layed out. It's has plenty of ideas and best practice guidelines, but does not read preachy at all. A must read for anyone preparing to do a talk in public.

[Agisilaos Tsaraboulidis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lara with this book gives us a lot of info behind prepping for a talk, writing a proposal and so many other things related to before & after a talk. It was a east & calm read and she provided a lot of valuable info related to Public Speaking and how to overcome our fears about it.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I *loved* this book. Lara handles the practicalities of public speaking beautifully. It made me feel so much more capable of giving a great talk and I'm excited to implement her suggestions.

[Olivier Grange-Labat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short book on public speaking (at conferences, meetups, etc.) full of actionable advices and written in a kind, warm, non-judging tone.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super quick read, and is written in a way where all the advice feels obvious; it's just now clearly presented in a way that's actually digestable.

I used Lara's book to help me give better presentations at work, and after working on it for a year, I'm moving into speaking more in broader audiences with her help. I keep this book beside me while planning talks and making CFPs now. Thanks, Lara. :)

[Maryann Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful info about public speaking, especially at conferences. Beginner level which was right for me

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good resource, very in depth tips based on Lara's experiences. If you are interested in public speaking, big or small groups, this is an incredible read.

[Piotr Majkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical, easy to read.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, actionable advice on the entire process, from vetting the right topic to delivering your talk.

[Katya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being new to the topic, I found this book an incredibly helpful introduction. It's short, to-the-point and reassuring. I will be revisiting it in future!

[Fermin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buen libro con tips para hacer charlas públicas en eventos o meets en vivo.
Me llevo algún tip, pero no consejos para preparar estás charlas.

[Rachel Leite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great and easy read that helped me understand I'm not alone in my fears of public speaking (which is probably the first step in overcoming them). She gave some really practical things to consider on feeling comfortable being yourself, sharing your ideas, and receiving feedback. Useful not only for public speaking, but also everyday life.

[Marcus Österberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

"What if I mess up? What if they don't like what I have to say? What if they disagree, or worse, what if the don't like me?"
The fears of public speaking are many and hard to overcome. This book is a fantastic guide for those who'd like to give it a try, no matter the size of the venue. The book's on point and not unnecessarily wordy. The key to it all seems to be ensuring you're prepared, and fortunately the book covers all aspects of it.
Even though I've already presented a couple of times, this book is helpful when preparing for my next talk.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demystifying Public Speaking is a good walkthrough of giving a talk. It covers the whole process but isn't very opinionated on how to do X/Y.

It's not a mind-blowing book but it's not meant to be. It's a good insight into how the whole thing works, even pay negotiation for example.

I wish it had given some examples like real talk proposals, if they were accepted, and if not, why the speaker & author think it wasn't. There are a load of resources given at the end thought which look like they might really help here

[Lindsay Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical and easy read with some great tips on breaking into the speaking scene, preparing your content, gathering feedback, and delivering an awesome talk. Definitely check this book out if you find yourself giving presentations, no matter the format or size. Laura's book has takeaways that can apply to many types of presentations!

[Stringy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical advice from an author and other speakers who have done a lot of public speaking. I particularly liked the tips on how to gather honest but useful feedback beyond "you're amazing!" from your friends or "this was terrible" from useless people.

[Candi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this quick read. Some great tips on how to ease my worries about public speaking whether it's a conference or just a team presentation.

[Junko Bridston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource if you want to talk at a conference.

[Ben Ng · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short handbook packed with useful advice. I plan to refer to this book whenever I have to prepare for public speaking.