Review of “Briefly Speaking” by Deborah Shames and David Booth

Score: 96/100 (9.6 out of 10)

Briefly Speaking is, quite frankly, the best book on public speaking and presenting that we've ever read! This outstanding book—which is a compilation of three smaller books—is the result of a monumental team effort by co-authors Deborah Shames and David Booth. It is an indispensable guide for anyone looking to elevate their public speaking and presentation skills. The authors, both seasoned communication coaches, bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, offering readers a comprehensive road map to crafting and delivering impactful presentations. This book stands out not only for its practical tips but also for its emphasis on authenticity and creativity, making it a valuable resource for speakers at any level.

There are so many things about this book that we like that it would probably make this a ten-page review!

Keeping it simple... Probably our favorite aspect of this book is how it's able to use the case examples of successful celebrities, actors, athletes, coaches, and others to teach certain points.

Here are a few of our favorite examples:

The authors tell us that the late, great Kobe Bryant was a very intellectually curious person who didn't just want to succeed, but wanted to know how and why he succeeded. He wanted to know how and why things worked (or didn't work). For example, he couldn't quite figure out why his fadeaway jumper wasn't as effective as he hoped it would be (as he often missed shots with it). However, upon watching a cheetah running on the Discovery Channel, he realized that the cheetah used its tail for balance and almost like an anchor from being pulled out of place and ruining its trajectory. In other words, its tail kept it from wasting movement and moment while facilitating its balance during a movement. He was able to use that knowledge to improve his fadeaway jumper, beginning to straighten one leg like a cheetah's tail. He started to be more effective at it, scoring more baskets.

This also teaches us that sometimes we have to change our perspective and view things from a different angle. One of the big takeaways from this book (that goes along with what we were talking about in terms of Kobe) is that we should record ourselves and analyze what we've done. We should be asking ourselves what worked and what didn't. We should be asking ourselves how we can improve.

On that note, the book also talks about LA Rams star wide-receiver Cooper Kupp and how he transformed a tennis court on his estate into a laboratory for athletic performance using sensors, recording devices, and other technologies—all with the aim of analyzing, improving, and maximizing his athletic performance. One of the things he learned from it is that he didn't reach top speed until he was already 25 yards into a sprint, making him more effective in moderate to mid-range route running. He was able to use this knowledge to win a Super Bowl and even be the game's MVP despite his relatively small size and unassuming build and stature.

The book also uses the late, great Raiders coach, John Madden, as an example of being genuine and using your natural charisma to be a effective speaker, presenter, and personality. Despite being described as looking like an “unkept bed”—being overweight, talking a bit strangely, and being a bit sloppy in appearance—he was apologetically and unashamedly himself, something that resonated with his players and millions of other people.

Similarly, the book uses examples of actors/actresses like Robin Williams, Denise Gough, Dustin Hoffman, Michelle Williams, and Christine Baranski to show how they were able to overcome different fears, anxieties and challenges of performing in front of people, largely by being authentic, genuine, and motivated.

Remind yourself that the thing that you're talking about (and trying to accomplish) is bigger and more important than any fears or anxieties you may have.

Speaking of fears and anxieties, the book acknowledges that the majority of people (about 90%) have some stage fright or fear of public speaking. One book we read in the past said that more people are afraid of public speaking than ghosts, heights, spiders, snakes, and even death!

What's amazing is the authors kinda come at this problem in a unique and interesting way (at least as we interpreted it): SO WHAT?!

If everyone is afraid of this one thing, then the playing field is level and equal. It's what you are going to do about it that matters.

The authors seem to have a similar tough-loving attitude toward PowerPoint and PowerPoint presentations, outright saying: “If PowerPoint isn't necessary, don't use it.”

PowerPoint shouldn't be a crutch to make up for poor speaking/presenting abilities.

Be minimalistic about it. Don't make your presentation all about the PowerPoint and overload it with slides, images, and information. The presentation should be about you and the topic you're talking about, not about a program that we were all arbitrarily told we had to learn when we were in sixth grade.

The authors emphasize PREPARATION and have some great examples. One of our favorite examples regards the legendary Bob Ross, an infectious TV personality who made 30,000 works of art, some of which were made live and on-screen on public television. He made it look so smooth, easy, and effortless! However, did you know that he did a lot of practice and preparation beforehand? He would actually paint a version of what he intended to paint on TV and use it as an off-screen reference. We didn't know that!

You also need to prepare for when things go wrong or not according to plan. Expect the unexpected. It's essentially Murphy's Law.

And how do you account for Murphy's Law according to the authors? Well, you prep like a SEAL!

Now, when we first read that, we humorously thought the author was going to talk about how aquarium workers teach the marine mammals how to do flips, turns, hand-stands, and other tricks. No, the authors actually meant NAVY SEALS. Oh, gosh, we had a facepalm moment there. Sorry.

Anyway, the Navy Seals run through a ton of inopportune scenarios and practice trying to overcome/survive them. Maybe your gun got wet and doesn't fire. Maybe your harness got caught on the outside of a vehicle. Maybe your goggles have a leak in them. Maybe one shoe got snagged in a gap and had to be pulled off and left behind. Things like that.

Well, unexpected and inconvenient things happen when you're speaking/presenting too. Sometimes your partner doesn't show up. Sometimes the computer crashes or the PowerPoint freezes. Sometimes you simply forget what you were going to say or get lost in the middle. You need to be prepared with contingency plans and ask yourself what you should do in scenarios like that.

Practice, practice, practice.
Drill, drill, drill.

Another major takeaway we got from this book is that you should be brief and concise. It's the economy of language. People have a shorter attention span than you might imagine, and they can/will start to resent you if you start going overtime. The authors use the example of how jurors can turn against a lawyer and their side of the case simply because they talk too much and come across as inconsiderate, boring, and annoying. People also tend to forget or miss more information if a presentation is too long due to things like the recency effect.

Our absolute favorite example of brevity in this book is that of historian and biographer Joseph Persico. Persico had written the sizable biographies of Colin Powell, the Roosevelts, and the Rockefellers. However, he said that his most difficult writing challenge was writing the dedication that would be inscribed in granite at the entrance of the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.. He decided on just seven powerful words: “Here we mark the price of freedom.”

With that, he was able to say more than a 100,000 words could.

Another great example of brevity is that of Roman speakers and their recommendations on the oratory craft. They believed in the idea of 'Omne trium perfectum,' or that 'Everything that comes in threes is perfect.” Thomas Jefferson understood this when he listed “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as the cornerstone of the Declaration of Independence.

Well, how about that?

There's an interesting little tidbit in this book about treating oration like keeping a souffle from falling. You don't want to be too rough and forceful while handling a souffle. You have to be careful and treat it delicately. You need to use both finesse and attention. If you speak too fast (like you're blowing your words out of a machine gun) or too forcefully (like you're blowing them out of a cannon), you're going to come across as preachy, didactic, and pushy. That's actually something we experienced while reading some of the books in this contest like the Angelica Wang books or even The Darkest Side of the Moon by M.C. Ryder. Those were still good books, but the language in them sounded insistent or even demanding. People don't like being told what to do.

Instead of demanding that people do something or think a certain way, how about inviting them? People are more likely to do something if they can choose it willingly.

On that note, there's a passage in this book that we really liked:

“Don't use adjectives that tell us how you want us to feel about something.
So, rather than 'terrible,' describe what will make us feel terrified.”

This really resonated with us because we've read a few books in this contest that really seemed to be pushing a narrative or message in an in-your-face sorta way. It's better to let your audience's minds work for themselves and let them decide.

Check it out on Amazon!