Taking Center Stage: Masterful Public Speaking Using Acting Skills You N: 5

"It's a simple fact that all of us use the techniques of acting to achieve whatever ends we seek, whether it is a child pouting for ice cream or a bawling politician bent on stirring the hearts and pocketbooks of potential constituents." -- Marlon Brando. Applying the techniques of acting to the business world makes for better public speakers is the thesis of this book and it's a good one. I'm a coach and have done a lot of public speaking, and this book pointed out many ways I could improve my presentation. I also coach other people about public speaking, and I'll be recommending this book to them.Rehearsing well ahead of time, they recommend, so that you aren't 'rehearsing nervousness' which is what will happen if you go on stage unrehearsed each time. Good point! The parts I really enjoyed were their treatments of the kind of phoniness you sometimes feel. They point out that there's nothing phony about real acting -- it's not cheap theatrics. A real actor finds the truth in the situation and brings many different aspects of himself to his role and lives it as honestly as he can within the fictional parameters of the play. "A good speaker does the same within the parameters of the speech.""Play the full range," they say. "Every human being possesses all 88 keys on the piano, but most of us restrict our melodies to the middle octave." This book will show you how to play all over the keyboard! It's great!

I first heard of Deb Gottesman and Buzz Mauro when I picked up their first book about using acting techniques in the job interview process. As an attorney practicing in the area of employment law, I had many clients who had found themselves out of work and back in the job market after many years. I bought a copy of the book, and read it, and then went back to the store and bought 15 additional copies to give to clients. So, it was with great excitement that I saw a second book by the Gottesman/Mauro team. Taking Center Stage is brilliant. For anyone who has contemplated public speaking, but been daunted by the seemingly natural skills of others, this book is gives reassurance. I have already tried some of the exercises and am intrigued at the idea that I, too, can develop public speaking skills. I can't recommend this book too highly.