Speak with No Fear: Go from a Nervous, Nauseated, and Sweaty Speaker to an Excited, Energized, and Passionate Presenter

As Jerry Seinfeld put it, the average person at a funeral would rather be the one in the casket than the one delivering the eulogy. The fear of public speaking is that visceral for us. So this topic, Speak with No Fear, is an important one for many people. It's also a complex topic. As a hypnotherapist, I'm very aware of how public speaking raises ALL the basic fears--fear of rejection, fear of humiliation, fear of being ridiculed. And all of this in public, for anyone to see. In addition to being complex, the fear of public speaking is also individual. There is no one approach that solves the problem for everyone. For me, the best part of Mike Acker's book is that he provides seven strategies to choose from rather than trying to force-fit everyone into one model. These strategies range from the psychological to the spiritual to the practical and together cover all the syndromes I've encountered in my practice. The other element of this book I appreciate is the "Action" section that is part of each strategy. In other words, this isn't just an academic think-piece; it is a workbook for conquering fear. This book is focused on fear of public speaking but several of the strategies are more widely applicable. And a couple strategies are good, practical advice on how to write and deliver a powerful speech. For example, "You Be You" is sound advice for anyone. "Speak to One" is imperative for all speakers. So the book is not narrow in scope but rather broad enough to cover the topic thoroughly and usefully.

While searching for a great book to read on how to overcome my nervousness and anxiety before speaking in front of others, I came a across a list of about 5 books. The first book was this one, “Speak with No Fear.” This has to be my first and last book that I will read that’s in the “fear of public speaking” category. Mike Acker, the Author lays it completely out for you step-by-step for when you are preparing for a speech. The book is a must read. It’s worded in such way that makes it enjoyable to read and make you proud of understanding the content. It’s definitely a book that’s worthwhile, I read it in a couple of days. I can attest that next time I have to present in front of others I will not have a problem doing so, knowing that I’m honing great skill sets learnt from this book. Very happy to have found a book that reduces my nervousness and anxiety while growing my skill sets and as a public speaker.

"Speak With No Fear" is a well-researched and properly presented guide on improving pubic speaking. The books prepares you for giving speeches, and provides helpful tactics and strategies for overcoming fear and performing at your best. One of my favorite aspects of the book is the personal bond created by the author, as he shares various personal stories throughout the book and makes clear, that he truly cares. Very insightful was also the focus on the "present moment" which definitely helps with giving speeches in front of crowds. I think, the book works best for people who are really afraid of public speaking and are preparing for first speeches. If you belong to this group of people, you will learn a lot from the book. For experienced speakers that are some gems as well. Two last words from the book: Breathe. Smile.

As an author of a public speaking book and an avid reader of anything related to mastering the art of public speaking, I've been through my fair share of public speaking books that just rehash the same old concepts that have been around since man has been speaking. Not only will the information be vanilla but the delivery will be boring and unengaging. You’ll wonder how you’ll ever get through the book when you’re struggling to get through the first few pages. But then there’s Mike Acker. You can tell he’s a great speaker just by how he delivers the material he wants to get across to the reader (his audience). He expertly interweaves stories and analogies that make the book enjoyable to read at a level that you actually forget you’re learning something. Great speakers do that very same thing on stage. Their focus is fully on the audience to make sure the people who have granted their time and attention toward the speaker receives the best experience. Great speakers care about their audience and the audience can feel it. Mike cares about his readers in that same way to make sure you have the best experience going through his book. He knows if you take what he’s teaching to heart, he can change your life. However, even Mike doesn’t expect you to finish the book and magically become a fearless public speaker. Mike has laid out actionable steps you need to take to put what you are learning into practice to truly benefit from what he is teaching. Don’t skip the steps! If you don’t take the steps, if you don’t take action—nothing changes. Since you’re reading this review, that most likely means you’re considering getting the book which also tells me you want something in your life to change. I assure you, if you put into action the steps in this book, your life will never be the same (in a great way!). It will be worth every penny. It will be worth every minute you put into the book. There will be no time wasted here. Buy the book.

Gostei muito da leitura. Ajudou a mudar algumas perspectivas. Livro é escrito de modo bem simples, o que deixa a leitura leve e agradável. Valeu o investimento.

Thank you, this was a wonderful read. The language and the content was apt.. this has surely helped me in my question to become a better speaker.

Great book for beginners! The author explains everything in an engaging manner. I swept through the book in 1 week! I personally found the “Speak to One” chapter to be the best one!

This was a book that I read at one sitting as what was written by Mike were all things that I could relate to – the bad experiences that etch their way to my mind and stayed there on a subconscious level. I never knew that I can move past this wound by finding the good in the bad. I love all the 7 strategies that Mike mentioned in the book and I am so thankful that Mike wrote this book to help many of us to conquer the fear of speaking. I particularly liked that he emphasised that it is not about me but when I am speaking, I must instead think about the audience, how I can help, serve and inspire them and to care about the people that I am speaking to. I really enjoy and love to read a book where the author is so authentic in sharing both his good and bad experiences. The next time I speak to an audience, I am going to remember Mike’s quote: “ I will be fine. I will do my best. I am here and I am going to enjoy this moment.”

I got this book two months ago as a debut author preparing for my first speaking event. I was honestly fearful and afraid of messing up and not doing well so I decided to read books that talked about public speaking. What stood out to me most was the author’s story about how he used to watch many podcasts and imitate the speakers whenever he spoke at his church. He said he became a different person each time until he finally decided to just be himself. That lesson hit home for me, and it was the first thing I applied from the book. Mike Acker is such a good storyteller, and I genuinely enjoyed reading Speak Without Fear. When the day of my event came, it was my first time speaking to that kind of crowd but I did well! Someone from the audience even told me, “You were confident and had the audience hooked from beginning to end.” I was so happy! Thank you, Mike, for writing such a masterpiece. It truly helped me find my voice and speak with confidence.