WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN TO SPEAK

Head of the Department of Speech and Theatre at Brooklyn College, Professor Larson writes authoritatively on the factors involved in speech, its growing importance in all phases of business, public- and for that matter, private- life. It may be a factor in self portrayal, and his aim here is to equip his readers for all speech situations, public speaking, sales talks, sermons, after-dinner speeches, group discussion, McGing meetings, etc. He gives basic tenets, something of techniques and procedure, advice on voice, presence, poise, how to handle stage fright, how to give an impression of an extempore style (while at the same time being wholly prepared with something to say and the way to say it). He discusses the use of words in detail, what to watch for, what to avoid, how to sense the value of punctuation in the spoken word, how to avoid errors of pronunciation. He outlines the four elements that go into the making of a good speaker:- an efficient mind, efficient personality, know-how and practice. All but the last will be helped by his book. The last is up to the individual. He ends his book with some rules of procedure in running a meeting. Good commonsense approach throughout.