The Art of Public Speaking
The Art of Public Speaking is a 1915 instructional book by J. Berg Esenwein and Dale Carnegie.
The book focuses on the process of communication, as a revealing expression of personality. On many occasions, people are unable to express their opinions for different reasons such as nervousness, shyness or not being able to organize our ideas in our heads.
The three basic principles of Dale Carnegie and on which the book is based are:
- Know what to say.
- Say it with conviction.
- Say it vividly and clearly.
The book gives the tools to be able to convince a group of skeptics about a certain point of view, to learn how to explain a complex matter in a simple way, to present our ideas in a meeting or even to converse better with new friends. It is also very useful for sales staff who need to sell an idea or product. It is a manual widely used by managers in the business world.
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Public domain (US)·No sign-up·DRM-free·Real text, not scans
Copyright note. The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie is believed to be in the public domain in the United States only. It may still be copyrighted in other countries. If you are not in the United States, please check your local laws to ensure this eBook is in the public domain in your country before downloading The Art of Public Speaking in PDF or EPUB.
- Pages
- 450
- Reading time
- 13 hours 17 minutes
- Pace
- Intermediate
- First published
- 1915
- Language
- English
- Downloads
- 17,536
111 years later, still timely
Why Read The Art of Public Speaking in 2026?
A century-old toolkit that still works: structure, story, and rehearsal. Carnegie turns stage fright into craft with exercises you can try tonight and improve by the weekend.
Today's connection
Remote talks, interviews, and panels need clear messages and warm delivery. Use chapters as drills: outline, example, call-to-action. Record yourself, iterate, and focus on audience benefit. Simple methods, durable results.
Practice you can do
Outlines, voice, and pace—repeatable reps that lower nerves.
Audience-first
Speak to needs, not notes. Value beats volume.
Story as carrier
Examples move ideas further than abstractions.
These collections include The Art of Public Speaking
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About the author
Dale Carnegie
Practical people skills for trust, influence, and clear communication.
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From The Art of Public Speaking
Get your principles right, said Napoleon, and the rest is a matter of detail.
Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice.
Practise, practise, PRACTISE in speaking before an audience will tend to remove all fear of audiences, just as practise in swimming will lead to confidence and facility in the water. You must learn to speak by speaking.
Concentration is a process of distraction from less important matters.
Live an active life among people who are doing worthwhile things, keep eyes and ears and mind and heart open to absorb truth, and then tell of the things you know, as if you know them. The world will listen, for the world loves nothing so much as real life.