A great start to shaking off public speaking jitters, socializing and mastering the art of small talk. The principles of public speaking written by Dale Carnegie decades ago in this book are timeless. They are just as effective in working a crowd in today's society as they were back then. He delves into ways of commanding and charming an audience with the right energy, tone of voice, pitch, pronunciation and vocabulary. Armed with the principles highlighted in this book, you can do more than convey a message to a group of people, you can move them. Carnegie gives useful advice and hints on public speaking stating that when you have something to say, are adequately prepared and have mastered an audience then public speaking success is eminent. He delivers a topic by topic approach offering solutions to common public speaking problems. Moreover, each chapter features practice questions and exercises to help the reader understand the subject better. By reading this book, you can acquire confidence before an audience; efficiently convey your message by inflection, change of pace, emphasis and subordination. You can learn to influence people through exposition, description, narration, suggestion, argument and persuasion. Throughout the book there are numerous quotes and references from influential individuals and institutions to emphasize the subject. The book is also riddled with numerous stories and examples to expound on the subject and to paint a picture in the reader's mind on what constitutes an effective public speaker as well as what kind of speech is considered effective. Many people who think they are good public speakers are left in doubt after reading this book. 'The Art of Public Speaking' is an essential tool to help you learn to work a crowd, leave them charmed and hanging onto your every word. ale Carnegie (November 24, 1888 - November 1, 1955) was a pioneer in self-improvement, salesmanship, and corporate training programs, and became famous for courses he developed that emphasized public speaking and interpersonal skills. Born in poverty on a farm in Missouri, he was the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, first published in 1936, which has sold over 15 million copies through many editions and remains popular today. He also wrote a biography of Abraham Lincoln titled Lincoln the Unknown and several other books. Carnegie was an early proponent of what is now called responsibility assumption. One of the core ideas in his books is that it is possible to change other people's behavior by changing one's reaction to them. Born in 1888 in Maryville, Missouri, Carnegie was a poor farmer's boy, apparently not seeing a train until he was twelve years old. In his teens, though still having to get up at 4 a.m. every day to milk his parents' cows, he managed to get educated at the State Teacher's College in Warrensburg (Mo.). His first job after college was selling correspondence courses to ranchers, then he moved on to selling bacon, soap, and lard for Armour & Company. He was successful to the point of making his sales territory, southern Omaha, the national leader for the firm. Later, he taught public speaking to businessmen. His most famous book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, has been translated into many languages. His books became popular because of his illustrative stories and simple, well-phrased rules. Two of his most famous maxims are, "Believe that you will succeed, and you will," and "Learn to love, respect and enjoy other people."