I Have Something to Say
Mastering the Art of Public Speaking in an Age of Disconnection
John Bowe · Random House, 2020
About The Book
I Have Something to Say is John Bowe’s book about public speaking which explores why so few of us are ever taught how to do it. It traces speech training back to ancient Greece and Rome, where it was the cornerstone of education, and asks what it would mean if once again it was part of ours.
Fascinated by the possibility that speech training could foster the kind of psychological well-being more commonly—and expensively— sought through psychiatric treatment, and intrigued by the notion that words can serve as medicine, Bowe set out to discover the origins of speech training—and to learn for himself how to speak better in public.
What would it mean for Americans to learn once again the simple art of talking to one another?
Bowe shows that learning to speak in public means more than giving a decent speech or overcoming nervousness. Learning to connect with others bestows upon us an enhanced sense of freedom, belonging, and power.
The result: an easy, humorous read that explains the subject considered by the Greeks and Romans to be the cornerstone of education: the art of explaining ourselves and connecting with others.
“A practical and entertaining paean to the value of connecting with people through the spoken word.” - Publishers Weekly
Reviews
“I Have Something to Say shows that we don’t suffer from speech anxiety because we’re anxious; we’re anxious because we haven’t learned how to use words to connect with everyone around us.”
— Charles Duhigg, Author of the New York Times Bestsellers The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better
“This book rescues ‘speech training’ from the realm of business self-help and relates the subject to the problems of our time. Bowe demonstrates that effective communication can be learned by all people and personality types.”
— Yasmeen Hassan, Global Executive Director, Equality Now
“As someone who previously suffered from speech anxiety, I know that one of the keys to success comes from knowing how to connect with the people around you. This book helps to unlock the secrets of how to clearly and confidently express yourself.”
— Tom Monaghan, Founder of Domino’s Pizza
“Now more than ever, people are hungry for a way to feel connected. John Bowe’s ‘discovery,’ ancient before it was new, is that our ability to connect—and our power to change the world—are only as good as our ability to communicate”
— Scott Harrison, Founder and CEO, charity:water