The Art of Public Speaking
The fear of standing before an audience is older than civilization itself, and so is the remedy. This landmark manual, co-authored by a young Dale Carnegie before he became the sage of likability, argues that courage is not the absence of fear but the refusal to let it rule you. The authors distill public speaking into its essential truth: confidence comes not from tricks or techniques but from genuine preparation, absolute absorption in your subject, and the willingness to forget yourself entirely. They recommend what sounds simple but remains radical: practice relentlessly, speak as if your message matters more than your ego, and expect success instead of rehearsing failure. Originally published in the early twentieth century, the book addresses the same paralyzing anxiety that haunts speakers today. Its core insight endures because it works: when you care more about what you have to say than about how you look saying it, the fear dissolves. For anyone who has ever avoided a podium, stammered through a presentation, or felt their heart race at the thought of facing a crowd, this book offers not empty encouragement but a practical philosophy of courage.
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“Students of public speaking continually ask, "How can I overcomeself-consciousness and the fear that paralyzes me before anaudience?"Did you ever notice in looking from a train window that somehorses feed near the track and never even pause to look up at thethundering cars, while just ahead at the next railroad crossing afarmer's wife will be nervously trying to quiet her scared horse asthe train goes by?How would you cure a horse that is afraid of cars”
— J. Berg Esenwein
“Live an active life among people who are doing worthwhile things, keep eyes and ears and mind and heart open to absorb truth, and then tell of the things you know, as if you know them. The world will listen, for the world loves nothing so much as real life.””
— J. Berg Esenwein
“The firstsign of greatness is when a man does not attempt to look and actgreat. Before you can call yourself a man at all, Kipling assuresus, you must "not look too good nor talk too wise.””
— J. Berg Esenwein
“Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice.””
— J. Berg Esenwein
“There is only one excuse for a speaker's asking the attention of his audience: he must have either truth or entertainment for them.””
— J. Berg Esenwein
“Blacksmiths sometimes twist a rope tight around the nose of a horse, and by thus inflicting a little pain they distract his attention from the shoeing process. One way to get air out of aglass is to pour in water. Be Absorbed by Your Subject””
— J. Berg Esenwein
“Apply the blacksmith's homely principle when you are speaking. If you feel deeply about your subject you will be able to think of little else. Concentration is a process of distraction from less important matters. It is too late to think about the cut of your coat when once you are upon the platform, so centre your interest on what you are about to say”
— J. Berg Esenwein
“They that soar too high, often fall hard, making a low and level Dwelling preferable. The tallest Trees are most in the Power of the Winds, and Ambitious Men of the Blasts of Fortune. Buildings have need of a good Foundation, that lie so much exposed to the Weather.””
— J. Berg Esenwein
“Monotony reveals our limitations.””
— J. Berg Esenwein
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<a href="https://lex-books.com/book/the-art-of-public-speaking-8a4a7a6c-3444-4a19-869e-8fb2f6b1c8cf"><img src="https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg" alt="Read The Art of Public Speaking by J. Berg Esenwein free on Lex" width="160" height="40"></a>[](https://lex-books.com/book/the-art-of-public-speaking-8a4a7a6c-3444-4a19-869e-8fb2f6b1c8cf)[url=https://lex-books.com/book/the-art-of-public-speaking-8a4a7a6c-3444-4a19-869e-8fb2f6b1c8cf][img]https://lex-books.com/badges/read-on-lex.svg[/img][/url]Read The Art of Public Speaking by J. Berg Esenwein free on Lex: https://lex-books.com/book/the-art-of-public-speaking-8a4a7a6c-3444-4a19-869e-8fb2f6b1c8cfCite this book
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Esenwein, J. Berg. The Art of Public Speaking. Lex, lex-books.com/book/the-art-of-public-speaking-8a4a7a6c-3444-4a19-869e-8fb2f6b1c8cf.Esenwein, J. B. (n.d.). The Art of Public Speaking. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-art-of-public-speaking-8a4a7a6c-3444-4a19-869e-8fb2f6b1c8cfEsenwein, J. Berg. The Art of Public Speaking. Lex. https://lex-books.com/book/the-art-of-public-speaking-8a4a7a6c-3444-4a19-869e-8fb2f6b1c8cf.
