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 A good read, but bring your dictionary
He's a great writer and he's full of wit and enthusiasm. This is definitely one of the best if not THE best references to public speaking I've seen. He covers the practical matters, preparation, the psychology of the audience - most anything you could need. It's solid information and as comprehensive as you could ask for. But reading it just wears me out:
* The guy's vocabulary is voluminous. Seriously. I think I have a pretty well developed vocabulary myself, but this guy sent me back to the dictionary at least once a chapter.
* He's very well read, meaning he regularly drops references that I have no reference for. Again with the searching.
* He's somewhat inconsistent in the delivery of the book. He lays down a number of laws for speaking, then contradicts himself at least every few pages. For example, following a long diatribe on keeping your language simple and appropriate to the audience, he drops words like "locutions", "raconteurs" and "pusillanimous". I haven't decided if he's assuming the intelligence of the reader, or if this is his sly humor.
It IS a great volume though, a 4 star book if I've ever read one. But I could have given it 5 if he would have just set the bar for entry a little lower. It rarely takes me a month to read a 300 page book.
 Take Command of Your Message
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!
 How to Become Arrogant Like Buckley
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
Strictly Splendid
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.
Packed With Knowledge!
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.
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