We have listed 10 top public speaking books through extensive research. The reviews are based on experience, ratings, and reviews from readers. Public speaking books are books you can read or listen to make your presentation top-notch.
There are many articles or books about public speaking you can find online, but these 10 books are among the best. They include numerous techniques and guidelines that will increase your proficiency in public speaking and can also make you a prolific orator.
Some of the titles will teach you how to hold your listeners spellbound and prevent them from getting cognitive overload by bombarding them with much irrelevant information. The titles we are about to discuss will help you overcome stage fright and speak at different events like Ted talk shows, meetings, conferences, school presentations, networking events, and lots more.
These are must-reads for anyone who wants to be a Prime speaker.
Here is the list of the 10 best books about public speaking, so you don’t have to waste time reading other people’s reviews one after the other.
1. Charisma Improvement + Advanced Memory: 2 in 1 Bundle: Ultimate Guide to Effective Social Skills, Public Speaking, and Enhancing Self Confidence & Ultimate Memory Guide to Have Unlimited Memory Power- John Ward
What separates a leader from a loser is the combination of habits, skills, mindset, attitude, and other characteristics acquired over time.
This book about public speaking will let you know how you can develop the most essential skills of a high-performance individual and fully bring out your true potential with charisma, productivity, communication, inspiration, a positive attitude, and motivation.
You can become a perfect listener, improve your professional and personal relationships, and do lots more if you become committed to reading this book, which serves as a foundation for your success in leadership and public speaking.
Recommendations from Xavier W. And Matin T
Xavier W.
A great start
As a combination, the book serves to answer any questions a reader would have about speaking and communication development. I enjoyed the section where the author talked about becoming a better listener, it is truly a lost practice. As with anything, this book needs to not only be read but also implemented. Which some may struggle to do on their own without motivation.
Matin T
Loved!
Throughout the years, I’ve read a lot of self-improvement books and I could say with confidence that this bundle is just something else. I loved it!
2. Speak Your Way to Cash®: How To Start at the Top of the Speaking Market Instead of Working Your Way Up From the Bottom! – Ashley N. Kirkwood
“Stop starting at the bottom. You already have what the people who pay the big money want. Let’s get you acquainted with them. Speak Your Way to Cash does exactly that.”
The entrepreneur and professional speaking coach Ashley N. Kirkwood discloses the secrets of highly paid 5 & 6-figure corporate speaking contracts using her proprietary P.A.I.D. method(™).
Here, she reveals that earning money through speaking is not about being famous but about packaging and presenting yourself well.
Reading this book about public speaking will expose you to developing the highly paid speaker mindset, constructing an astonishing and magnificent speech, and pro world-class service. To her, if you are proficient in speaking, you have every possibility of being paid by any organization.
Recommendations and reviews from buyers on Amazon.com.
C. Gray
Easy to read and apply. Ashley delivers!
Ashley Kirkwood is phenomenal and practical, and she does tell you exactly how she did it. Others promise, but Ashley delivers! I read the book and then listened to the audiobook. Supercharged! Get this book today and apply Ashley’s teachings to speak your way to$$$$!
Paula Jauch
Talk about laying a foundation. If you want to create a speaking business, this is a must-read!
3. The Successful Speaker: Five Steps for Booking Gigs, Getting Paid, and Building Your Platform by Grant Baldwin with Jeff Goin
This is one of the best books about public speaking for anyone who wants to be a paid/professional speaker who wants to use public speaking as a side business.
It uncovers the five-step road map to start and scale a speaking business from scratch, such as honing your message and establishing yourself as an in-demand expert.
The authors gave specific actions and case studies from professional speakers to speed up your booking gigs, getting paid, and establishing your speaking platform.
Recommendations from David Hooper, and Anett Rolikova
David Hooper
“I’ve enjoyed Grant’s podcast over the years as well as Jeff’s books. It was nice to see them come together to do this book on speaking and the business of speaking.
Whether you’re looking to support your current business with speaking or have speaking be your business, there is enough here to go on. The book is well-organized with “action steps” at the end of each chapter. If you do the work and exercises suggested, you will have what you need to make money speaking by the time you reach the end.”
Anett Rolikova
Great book if you’re attempting to become a speaker who is paid for speaking. Speaking as gigs, how to promote yourself and sell something via talking experience. How to start as a speaker, and create content for your website.
4. Talk Like TED: The 9 public speaking secrets of the World’s top minds by Carmine Gallo
This is a book that teaches you how to create and deliver presentations that are engaging, persuasive, and memorable, based on the analysis of hundreds of TED talks and interviews with TED speakers and experts.
This book about public speaking is aimed at anyone who wants to improve their public speaking skills and communicate their ideas more effectively.
“Communicating persuasively can be traced back to Aristotle,” says communication coach and expert Carmine Gallo.
Talk Like TED is based on the analysis of hundreds of TED talks and interviews with the most popular TED speakers. The book provides the tools to communicate the ideas that matter most to you, win over hearts and minds, and deliver the talk of your lives.
In this book about public speaking, Carmine reveals the 9 secrets that can make your Ted talk so great, help you create an emotional connection between you and your audience, and keep them engaged through storytelling, sharing extreme moments, novel statistics, mastering your speech, and sharing new information.
You’ll learn how to unleash the master within, deliver jaw-dropping moments, stick to the 18-minute rule, use stories and images, and be passionate about your topic.
Recommendations from Matt Deaton, Ph.D., Richard Dugan, and Kimothy Bankston
Richard Dugan
“Talk Like TED” is a helpful list of best practices for those who communicate – especially public speakers. Much of the material is found in other books on public speaking, which reiterates what nearly every communication coach will say: that the craft just requires discipline and hard work. There are no shortcuts, but with adequate preparation and practice, anyone can be an effective public speaker.
Kimothy Bankston
This book was instructive for anyone wanting to improve their speaking ability. The reference to prior Ted talk speakers allows someone to watch the Ted talk and gain added knowledge through visual observation.
Matt Deaton, Ph.D.
Gallo’s in-depth analysis of the best speakers of our time is a superb resource sure to up your public speaking game. Last fall I drew heavily on it while preparing and delivering a Veterans Day presentation for two local middle schools.
5. Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln: 21 Powerful Secrets of Greatest Speakers by James Humes
Churchill once explained that praise at the beginning of a talk sounds like flattery, whereas the same praise wedged into the middle of the speech comes off as sincerity. He called this delayed appreciation parenthetical praise.
You can captivate your boardroom like Winston Churchill and command the attention of your audience like Abraham Lincoln if only you can apply the tricks in this book.
The 21 powerful secrets, tricks, and points written by the speaker and author James Humes will make you an outstanding public speaker and take you to a new level.
You can master the use of the expectant pause to grab attention, how Ronald Reagan could win even the most hostile crowd with carefully timed humor, and lots more.
Recommendations from Nathan Williams and Scott Reavely
Nathan Williams
Learn from the masters
There are so many gems in this book, for new and seasoned speakers alike. If you’re looking for a way to improve your public speaking, this is a terrific resource. I will admit that I was a little put out by the frequent biblical references, but the rest of the content is so good that it still makes the book worthwhile.
Scott Reavely
Be a Power Speaker
This book is consistently quotable.
Though you won’t get much help with the content of a speech per se, you will get help with crafting the message and your delivery. I recommend it to anyone who wants to get better at public speaking.
6. Stuttering and Anxiety Self-Cures by Lee G Lovett
This is a self-help book that contains a self-cure method based on real-life experiences of the author. It helps those who stutter or suffer from speech anxiety become free or become fluent in speaking.
This book is an excellent guide to stopping the habit of stuttering through the use of Crutches, mind training(focusing on the right things), and affirmations.
Lee says one thing: If I can say one word anywhere at any time, then I can say any word anywhere at any time.
Lee also talked in his book that stuttering is an unconscious effort by the stutterer and takes conscious effort and perseverance to stop it.
Recommendations from Melissa Beltre and Lucas
Melissa Beltre
Stuttering can be helped
I haven’t even read this book yet and I can tell it will be of great help to me. I’ve stuttered my whole life so I know how frustrating it can be because of how it affects life.
Lucas
Of kit last summer I felt uneasy about an upcoming job interview. It was that usual tension so familiar to anyone who is stuttering. To alleviate my anxiety, I started to search for new books on n the subject which I hadn’t done in a couple of years. I couldn’t find anything worth attention to besides the known already-known on Harrison or Bob Bodenhamer. Finally, on the third page of the search results this book caught my attention.
7. Speak With No Fear: Go from a nervous, nauseated, and sweaty speaker to an excited, energized, and passionate presenter – Mike Acker
As Mike would say, “If you struggle with speaking, then first realize that you are not alone. Public Speaking is the #1 fear in America. You are not alone.”
If you are always afraid, nervous, or shy to be on stage, maybe in a school presentation, office, or any occasion, this book is specifically for you. It will guide you on how to gain confidence in communication and smash fear.
“Perform! In practice, confront the physical and mental challenges you will encounter during the performance.”
The writer discloses the seven proven strategies that will give you a new perspective, prepare you, and set you up for speaking. By reading the book, you’ll encounter lots of relatable stories, executable pointers, and amusing moments.
Recommendations from Lauren Smith and Bridgette Rose – Amazon Buyers
Lauren Smith
“Not just another public speaking book
As an author of a public speaking book and an avid reader of anything related to mastering the art of public speaking, I’ve been through my fair share of public speaking books that just rehash the same old concepts that have been around since man has been speaking. Not only will the information be vanilla but the delivery will be boring and unengaging.
But then there’s Mike Acker. You can tell he’s a great speaker just by how he delivers the material he wants to get across to the reader (his audience).”
Bridgette Rose
Good Practical Advice
This a quick read with practical advice for overcoming jitters for presentations. His personal stories were relatable for me and shows how you can channel nervous energy.
8. Steal the Show: From Speeches to Job Interviews to Deal-Closing Pitches, How to Guarantee a Standing Ovation for All the Performances in Your Life- Michael Port
“Every interaction is a performance, whether you’re speaking up in a meeting, pitching a client, or walking into a job interview.”
This book about public speaking will teach you how to engage your audience and make the most of your moment on stage, ranging from presentations and sales pitches to interviews and tough conversations.
The writer reveals the techniques of an actor that can be useful to a non-actor to inspire, persuade, and connect with your audience. The book has 272 pages and was first published on October 6, 2015.
Recommendation from Joe Markland, and Dorothy Holtermann.
Joe Markland
Great book!
If you have any type of presentation to do, buy this book! I have had to do many presentations through work, then since reading this book and applying its principles I am receiving better feedback and gaining much more confidence the more I do.
Dorothy Holtermann
I am so wowed by this book that it makes it difficult to begin to explain the impact it has already had on me as a person and on my career. Right off let me exclaim “Buy this Book!”
I know that anyone who takes the time to read this book and incorporate even just a few of the generously shared pearls of wisdom will have a life-changing experience. I know for myself that this book will be studied and treasured.
9. Win every argument: The art of debating, persuading and public speaking- Metidi Hasan
“Win Every Argument” is a great masterpiece for debaters, even a newbie, as it sharpens and helps you master the art of speaking. It reveals a sixteen-step process for winning an argument, debate, or presentation.
The popular award-winning British American journalist and broadcaster, Metidi Hasan, reveals tips on how to communicate confidently and overcome the disagreements, insults, or crises seen in social media and in any productive debate in the real world, such as understanding your audience, using facts and humor, and eliciting the emotions of the listeners.
Recommendations from Cornel West, and Jason C
Cornel West
Mehdi Hasan’s book is a masterpiece of rhetorical argument and effective persuasion! From Demosthenes to Churchill, Cicero to Martin Luther King, Hasan lays bare the essential elements of how to delight, instruct, and move an audience. His erudition is as impressive as his wit. And his moral passion is as authentic as his love of words and life!
Jason C
I’ve long maintained that critical thinking is the single most important skill an undergraduate can obtain, regardless of major. This is an excellent book that introduces the multiple logical fallacies that we see in some form or another almost every day. It consists of a list of logical fallacies in alphabetical order, which can be admittedly a little dry. It’s no substitute for a class in critical thinking or logic, but it’s a great start!
10. The Power of Storytelling: Captivate, Convince, Or Convert Any Business Audience UsingStories from Top CEO Book by James Holtje
The world’s leading business leaders are great storytellers. This book will help you as a business speaker, teacher, manager, or someone who relies on communications to make key points and learn how to tell stories that will grab your audience.
It is a directory for creating unforgettable, attention-grabbing communications, from speeches and letters to business plans, using stories from the world’s eminent business leaders like Jack Welch, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Sam Walton, Ted Turner, Steve Jobs, and many others.
This is an incredible and enlightening tool that has a lot of collection of stories that can strengthen your communications and motivate your audience in peps talks, interview talking points, etc.
Recommendations from Kenneth Calhoun, and Luiz Carlos Gomes
Kenneth Calhoun
A helpful book for business communications; good business story examples
The “Power of Storytelling” is a useful book because the author shows a variety of different business stories, and explains how to use this approach in one’s communications. Ideal for business speakers, teachers, managers, and others who rely upon communications to make key points and be listened to.
Luiz Carlos Gomes
The product is good and the seller has fulfilled expectations.
