Rating: 
Summary: Take Command of Your Message
Review: After years of public speaking, personal and professional, I now come to know how awful I've been. I knew I could be better, but hadn't found a resource to help me command attention, respect my audience, and communicate openly.This is the real "How To" book. He broadens your horizon with his vocabulary. You may want to keep a dictionary handy. (I had to!) Emphasizes your responsibility to get your facts straight, exposing many popular phrases that were never uttered or intentioned by the assigned authors. Phrases used daily. Harry Beckwith was right... If they don't like you, they won't like your message... even if it planting petunias. The lower ratings given to this book ran a common theme. Reid Buckley is brilliant, arrogant (a label we'd all like to be pegged with, secretly), and most importantly doggone' funny. It's a way he controls what his critics say about him. That kind of control is priceless. He's definitely a National Treasure!
Rating:
Summary: Take Command of Your Message
Review: After years of public speaking, personal and professional, I now come to know how awful I've been. I knew I could be better, but hadn't found a resource to help me command attention, respect my audience, and communicate openly. This is the real "How To" book. He broadens your horizon with his vocabulary. You may want to keep a dictionary handy. (I had to!) Emphasizes your responsibility to get your facts straight, exposing many popular phrases that were never uttered or intentioned by the assigned authors. Phrases used daily. Harry Beckwith was right... If they don't like you, they won't like your message... even if it planting petunias. The lower ratings given to this book ran a common theme. Reid Buckley is brilliant, arrogant (a label we'd all like to be pegged with, secretly), and most importantly doggone' funny. It's a way he controls what his critics say about him. That kind of control is priceless. He's definitely a National Treasure!
Rating:
Summary: Actually a good book for the pro, too.
Review: As I continue to read his book, I keep finding good ideas. For example, on how to write a brilliant speech, avoid the lachrymose, and much more. Writing, you might not have thought, is important in public speaking. Also, public speaking is important for all kinds communication; e.g., when Reid called me today, on the phone, the communication was most efficient and the fact he called me for a third time shows sincerity -- which you'll find out more about in his book.
Rating: 
Summary: How to Become Arrogant Like Buckley
Review: Buckley is not humble. He is arrogant, and proud of it. He gives you the good advice for a speaker not to make unneeded personal attacks. Then he fills his book with little barbs about "LIBERALS", often looking amazingly like unneeded personal attacks. Oh, yes, somewhere along the line, he gives some instruction on public speaking. I suppose you are supposed to do what he says, not what he does. Jim Buch
Rating:
Summary: How to Become Arrogant Like Buckley
Review: Buckley is not humble. He is arrogant, and proud of it. He gives you the good advice for a speaker not to make unneeded personal attacks. Then he fills his book with little barbs about "LIBERALS", often looking amazingly like unneeded personal attacks. Oh, yes, somewhere along the line, he gives some instruction on public speaking. I suppose you are supposed to do what he says, not what he does. Jim Buch
Rating:
Summary: Packed With Knowledge!
Review: Grab your dictionary - one of the Buckleys has written another book that will expand the vocabulary of even the most well read. Famed orator and founder of the exclusive Buckley School of Public Speaking, Reid Buckley has produced what is perhaps the most thorough, honest, wickedly witty book on public speaking you will ever read. It's definitely the most brilliantly written. While his obvious conservative political bent may unsettle those who don't join him on the right, his writing and speaking advice transcends political, economic and social beliefs. We [...] recommend this book to everyone who ever has to utter a word to anyone for any reason, especially in public.
Rating:
Summary: Strictly restricted to the art of speaking
Review: I have been looking for a book purely on the art of speaking in thse days and apparently this is the only one. Written in not-so-plain language and yet delivers a hugh collection of useful techniques. In particular, as pointed out by preceding reviewers, the six chapters on Mechanics are just great. hardly you can find so many practical advice in other public speaking books.
Rating:
Summary: Strictly Splendid
Review: If you are troubled by a lack of eloquence in yourself or society in general...read this book. In the classic, edifying Buckley Brother tradition, "Strickly Speaking" enables you to diagnose and treat about any hang-up. He accomplishes this by underscoring the need for Truth and Virtue as well as technique. For example, one of his Cardinal Sins of speaking is using a quotation from a work not read in entirety. Buckley's work stands out in the grating, saturated, contemporary "communications skills" industry.
Rating:
Summary: Best Book on Speaking of 20 I have read and reviewed
Review: No book on speaking does a better job on what to do immediately prior to a speech and the first minute of a speech. Among this advise is the reason for not beginning a speech with a joke. It is clearly spelled out. For those that have not had Toastmaster club experience and don't intend to enjoy that experience, the author's first commandment is worth the price of the book. "The very first paragraph of your talk should shock the audience with its complexity and difficulty, or with its outrageousness." He challenges the reader to be creative and original in supporting the edge put on your topic by serious research---or "go mutter someplace in private." When you are writing you have to be very careful with your approach, but when you speak you should play the more emotional side of the argument or aim at the core. Hit them at the gut level. "Go for the jugular." His chapter 3 on Speaking Obligations Related to Your Business or Profession is exceptional. I have yet to find any book on speaking that gives such sound insightful advise for the high level or top management speaker. I am cautioning you that while the author whines about obscure business terminology, your dictionary will be you constant companion in reading this book. The kettle has called the pot black. In chapter 10 (How to Write...Brilliantly.) his rule 5 is: Set your thoughts down in the simplest language possible. Again, when ever you read this book you will need the dictionary at hand. Sometimes the fancy word choice improves the meaning after you have studied the new word. What does it say about the rule if the author can't be bothered with it. Maybe it is all about the Buckley family style of writing and speaking with words that others don't use so as to prove that they are well educated... well beyond their degrees. The author's sixth commandment is: Be not only succinct, be brief. Their is easily 50 to 100 pages that could have be cut out of this book. Sometimes I was happy that the book was not shortened, because I liked the way that he told his stories He places a high value on humility and nonchalant manner on the platform. The author has the clearest reason's why you should request a Q&A period at all times. In discussing Expanding Your Cultural Base, he explains why you should be well read--to be an excellent speaker. His unique discussion on why you should read diverse sources and subjects is distinctive to him in its clarity. Other speech books encourage reading one non-fiction book per week. Another book admonishes us to read five daily newspapers and several magazines. He is the only one that offers the challenge that with a little thoughtful selection you will be building sources of material for future speeches immediately. Most importantly, when you read far afield from your area of expertise you are certain to improve the creativity of your mind. He, further, encourages music, art, seeing things first hand and talking to diverse people as vital to improving your creative potential. Chapter 6 on finding Ideas you are passionate about is outstanding. No author has handled bias better. He says: Of course he is biased in some areas and so are you,the reader. It is part of what makes us interesting. The six chapters on the Mechanics of Speaking are incredibly good.
Rating:
Summary: Very useful
Review: Reid Buckley, the younger brother of William F. (by 5 years), has written a useful book on public speaking, indeed! Easy to read, amusing, and rather eye opening. I have not had a chance to apply any of it, but I start tomorrow. The book helps when presenting to 100s to just one person. I think its has good advice from the professional worker to the CEO. I am just a worker, but lets see if this books can change that.
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