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“TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking,” was written by Chris J. Anderson, the head and curator of TED. This book is an in-depth guide to writing compelling talks. Any talks, not only public ones. 

Even if you’re not going to give a public talk, you will benefit from this book because we deliver our talks every single day; we talk to our friends/colleagues, answer calls, write messages, and emails, etc.

Anderson illustrates an example from his childhood:

“If my parents had suggested going for a walk in a way that promised to show me a new, fascinating view or a hidden treasure, I would have been far more excited. It’s not that I didn’t want to spend time with them; it’s just that I needed a compelling reason to be interested.”

I bought this book in 2017, but I’ve only been able to read it this summer.

Main part

In this book, the author explains why TED talks are so popular with audiences around the world and how you can give talks that stick. He based this book on his experience of writing his speeches and helping TED Talk speakers. 

Some of the TED Talks are used to illustrate bad and good examples of ideas and wordings. Thus, you will have a clear understanding of what you should and should not do. Anderson even describes the preparations of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.

A successful talk is much more than just a set of ideas and I agree with the author. It is a journey that engages and inspires the audience. 

I highly recommend reading this book because it is full of practical tips and approaches. For example, how to come up with ideas, how to organize your talk, how to make your talk stand out and be interesting, how to engage with your audience, how to deal with stress on stage, etc. 

Also, in the book — “TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking,” — you will read about verbal and non-verbal communication. The book also includes a section on visual aids, advising on how to use slides effectively without overshadowing the speaker’s message.

A key strength of Anderson’s guide is its emphasis on authenticity. He encourages speakers to be genuine and to speak from their own experiences and convictions. This is what truly engages an audience and makes a talk memorable.

Mentioned Speakers on TED Talks (with the links to their talks)

Anderson includes insights from various notable TED speakers to illustrate key principles of effective public speaking. Here is the list with some of them:

Bill Gates — Innovating to zero!, The next outbreak? We’re not ready.

Monica Lewinsky — The price of shame

Elizabeth Gilbert —  Your elusive creative genius, Success, failure, and the drive to keep creating

Salman Khan — Let’s teach for mastery—not test scores, Let’s use video to reinvent education

Steven Pinker — What our language habits reveal, The surprising decline in violence

Dan Gilbert — Why we make bad decisions, The psychology of your future self, The surprising science of happiness.

Sir Ken Robinson — Do schools kill creativity?, How to escape education’s Death Valley 

Brené Brown — The power of vulnerability, Listening to shame 

Recommendation

All in all, “TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking” is an amazing resource for anyone despite of your profession because we all deliver different talks on a daily basis.  Whether you consider yourself a novice or an experienced speaker, Anderson’s insights and advice offer practical tools and strategies for delivering talks that inform, inspire, and captivate. The book is a must-read for anyone serious about mastering the art of public speaking, with its clear, engaging writing and wealth of practical tips.

I highly recommend reading this book with a text marker to underline useful tips.

Quotes

“Your number-one mission as a speaker is to take something that matters deeply to you and to rebuild it inside the minds of your listeners.”

“Authenticity is not about being something you’re not. It’s about being fully yourself and being honest with your audience about who you are.”

“We live in an era where the best way to make a dent in the world may no longer be to write a letter to the editor or publish a book. It may be simply to stand up and say something . . . because both the words and the passion with which they are delivered can now spread across the world at warp speed.”

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