The Pin Drop Principle is a step-by-step master class for anyone wishing to become a more confident and credible communicator. Lewis and Mills believe all business professionals ought to deliver their message in such an engaging way that one could literally hear a pin drop when they speak. The secret to doing so comes from an unusual world: professional acting. By activating "objective" and "intention"--the main tools of actors (and great communicators)--business people can give their messages meaning and relevance, so the recipients walk away knowing why the message is important and what is in it for them.

• Empowers business professionals with performance-based delivery techniques--from storytelling to vocal dynamics--essential to becoming a great communicator
• Written for anyone wishing to engage listeners, establish instant credibility, influence key decision makers, and create a positive lasting impression
• Based on the Pinnacle Method, one of the most popular and groundbreaking communication skills training methods

The Pin Drop Principle is an accessible resource for anyone who routinely needs to present ideas to large or small groups, convey feedback effectively, conduct difficult conversations, and persuade others.

"Living Proof" is the first comprehensive guide to telling your personal story as an advocate for a cause or organization. Authored by two expert communication trainers, this easy-to-use handbook has everything you need to decide what to tell, deliver your story effectively and authentically, and give powerful presentations or great media interviews. "Living Proof" is for anyone who hopes one person's story can move audiences from apathy to empathy to action.

"Living Proof" contains examples, tools, principles, exercises and worksheets to help prepare speakers at all levels. It's organized so you can work through the book in a weekend, a week, with a course of study or flip to sections most immediately useful. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your communication skills to the next level, "Living Proof" provides the grounding, the confidence and guidance needed to advocate with the power of a well-told personal story.

We all want to get to yes, but what happens when the other person keeps saying no?

Ideas are the currency of the twenty-first century. In order to succeed, you need to be able to sell your ideas persuasively. This ability is the single greatest skill that will help you accomplish your dreams. TED Talks have redefined the elements of a successful presentation and become the gold standard for public speaking. TED--which stands for technology, entertainment, and design--brings together the world's leading thinkers. These are the presentations that set the world on fire, and the techniques that top TED speakers use will make any presentation more dynamic, fire up any team, and give anyone the confidence to overcome their fear of public speaking.

In 1858, Abraham Lincoln was known as a successful Illinois lawyer who had achieved some prominence in state politics as a leader in the new Republican Party. Two years later, he was elected president and was on his way to becoming the greatest chief executive in American history.

What carried this one-term congressman from obscurity to fame was the campaign he mounted for the United States Senate against the country's most formidable politician, Stephen A. Douglas, in the summer and fall of 1858. Lincoln challenged Douglas directly in one of his greatest speeches -- "A house divided against itself cannot stand" -- and confronted Douglas on the questions of slavery and the inviolability of the Union in seven fierce debates. As this brilliant narrative by the prize-winning Lincoln scholar Allen Guelzo dramatizes, Lincoln would emerge a predominant national figure, the leader of his party, the man who would bear the burden of the national confrontation.

Of course, the great issue between Lincoln and Douglas was slavery. Douglas was the champion of "popular sovereignty," of letting states and territories decide for themselves whether to legalize slavery. Lincoln drew a moral line, arguing that slavery was a violation both of natural law and of the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence. No majority could ever make slavery right, he argued.

Lincoln lost that Senate race to Douglas, though he came close to toppling the "Little Giant," whom almost everyone thought was unbeatable. Guelzo's Lincoln and Douglas brings alive their debates and this whole year of campaigns and underscores their centrality in the greatest conflict in American history.

The encounters between Lincoln and Douglas engage a key question in American political life: What is democracy's purpose? Is it to satisfy the desires of the majority? Or is it to achieve a just and moral public order? These were the real questions in 1858 that led to the Civil War. They remain questions for Americans today.

Bookshelves are crowded with books on how to be an exceptional presenter and promise to produce a brilliant, standing-ovation speaker. But what about a presentation resource for the rest of us? There are so many of us regular folk who who want to spend just a little time and effort to get over the big hurdle of giving a presentation, but don't know where to turn for advice.

How to Give a Pretty Good Presentation is the easy answer to this common need. Straightforward, entertaining, and well-organized, this user-friendly resource will walk you step-by-step through the process from how to write, rehearse, and deliver a pretty good presentation that will make you appear confident, memorable, and competent. Although it does not promise the moon (or a standing ovation), this public speaking survival guide will help you:

• Appear confident (even while still feeling nervous )
• Take the spotlight off of you and put it on your content
• Save time
• Not put people to sleep with your PowerPoint Presentation
• Produce better results
• Make better impressions
• Reduce the feelings of dread, sleeplessness, and procrastination associated with your presentations
• Prepare even if you've waited until the day before or an hour before your presentation is to be given

Whatever your job, if you need to give a presentation and are feeling overwhelmed by it, How to Give a Pretty Good Presentation is there for you. If you want to reduce the time and stress associated with your presentations now and pass all future presentation opportunities with flying colors, then pick up this fun and accessible guide; you'll no doubt like the resulting improvement in both your personal and professional bottom line.

Ward Farnsworth details the timeless principles of rhetoric that have held good from Ancient Greece to the present day, drawing on examples in the English language of consummate masters of prose, such as Lincoln, Churchill, Dickens, Melville, Burke & Pain.

Among the many pieces of expert advice in The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking is this nugget: "To capture attention, define a problem that keeps listeners up at night." Wyeth may as well be talking about the book itself--for nothing keeps us up at night like the prospect of giving a speech in the morning.

In this portable, brief, and lucid guide to presenting, Wyeth counsels how to calm a thumping heart and reveals techniques on preparation, delivery, and visual aids as he gives you vivid stories and rubber-meets-the-road advice. And he does more than simply ease your dread; he inspires you with historical accounts and incisive observations on the power and purpose of speaking well. From advice on the pitch and pace of your speaking voice to admonishments against squirrel-paw hands and data-crammed PowerPoint slides, Wyeth's pointers will give you the focus and confidence to stand up straight, lean forward, and tell your story well.