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The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie & Joseph Berg Esenwein

In 1915, the American lecture circuit hummed with a specific kind of energy. It was a time when the voice, rather than the screen, carried the weight of…

The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie & Joseph Berg Esenwein
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Runtime: 19 hr 51 min · Watch the full audiobook on YouTube · Subscribe to Ion Books

In 1915, the American lecture circuit hummed with a specific kind of energy. It was a time when the voice, rather than the screen, carried the weight of public persuasion. Dale Carnegie and J. Berg Esenwein captured this moment in a volume that treats oratory not as a series of tricks, but as a moral and spiritual discipline. Their text insists that technical skill is hollow without inner substance, arguing that the speaker must first be a fully realized person before attempting to shape a crowd. This work is a product of its era, blending the anxieties of progressive politics with the practical demands of business life. It moves from the mechanics of breathing and gesture to the deeper rhythms of thought and feeling. Esenwein, a seasoned editor, brings a literary precision to Carnegie’s practical pedagogy, creating a guide that reads as much like a philosophical essay as a manual. The authors believe that true eloquence emerges from concentration and will, not from memorized recitation. As you listen and follow the text, notice how the book frames speaking as an act of responsibility. It is a work to revisit slowly, allowing its analogies of nature and human nature to settle.

Summary generated by AI model Qwen 3

Public domain & narration

The Art of Public Speaking was first published in 1915. Works first published before 1931 are in the public domain in the United States, so the text is free to read, share and adapt. The edition shown here comes from Project Gutenberg, which publishes only books that are in the US public domain.

The narration is the LibriVox recording read by 8 volunteer readers, including Paul Adams, Availle and Joe Mabry. LibriVox volunteers dedicate their recordings to the public domain.

Ion Books adds the synchronized scrolling text and video, so you can read along while you listen, for free.

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Chapters

  1. Chapter 1: Things to Think of First - A Foreword (5:49) · watch
  2. Chapter 2: Ch. I: Acquiring Confidence Before an Audience (13:31) · watch
  3. Chapter 3: Ch. II: The Sin of Monotony (9:57) · watch
  4. Chapter 4: Ch. III: Efficiency through Emphasis and Subordination (20:27) · watch
  5. Chapter 5: Ch. IV: Efficiency through Change of Pitch (24:35) · watch
  6. Chapter 6: Ch. V: Efficiency through Change of Pace (31:29) · watch
  7. Chapter 7: Ch. VI: Pause and Power (27:10) · watch
  8. Chapter 8: Ch. VII: Efficiency through Inflection (29:50) · watch
  9. Chapter 9: Ch. VIII: Concentration in Delivery (11:52) · watch
  10. Chapter 10: Ch. IX: Force (24:16) · watch
  11. Chapter 11: Ch. X: Feeling and Enthusiasm (25:03) · watch
  12. Chapter 12: Ch. XI: Fluency through Preparation (14:02) · watch
  13. Chapter 13: Ch. XII: The Voice (15:25) · watch
  14. Chapter 14: Ch. XIII: Voice Charm (19:55) · watch
  15. Chapter 15: Ch. XIV: Distinctness and Precision of Utterance (24:06) · watch
  16. Chapter 16: Ch. XV: The Truth about Gesture (26:52) · watch
  17. Chapter 17: Ch. XVI: Methods of Delivery (27:49) · watch
  18. Chapter 18: Ch. XVII: Thought and Reserve Power (28:03) · watch
  19. Chapter 19: Ch. XVIII: Subject and Preparation (32:45) · watch
  20. Chapter 20: Ch. XIX: Influencing by Exposition (27:07) · watch
  21. Chapter 21: Ch. XX: Influencing by Description (39:26) · watch
  22. Chapter 22: Ch. XXI: Influencing by Narration (30:34) · watch
  23. Chapter 23: Ch. XXII: Influencing by Suggestion (36:53) · watch
  24. Chapter 24: Ch. XXIII: Influencing by Argument (29:32) · watch
  25. Chapter 25: Ch. XXIV: Influencing by Persuasion (29:20) · watch
  26. Chapter 26: Ch. XXV: Influencing the Crowd (27:58) · watch
  27. Chapter 27: Ch. XXVI: Riding the Winged Horse (24:51) · watch
  28. Chapter 28: Ch. XXVII: Growing a Vocabulary (18:52) · watch
  29. Chapter 29: Ch. XXVIII: Memory Training (23:32) · watch
  30. Chapter 30: Ch. XXIX: Right Thinking and Personality (12:24) · watch
  31. Chapter 31: Ch. XXX: After-Dinner and Other Occasional Speaking (21:37) · watch
  32. Chapter 32: Ch. XXXI: Making Conversation Effective (12:02) · watch
  33. Chapter 33: App. A: 50 Questions for Debate (6:53) · watch
  34. Chapter 34: App. B: 30 Themes for Speeches with Source-References (5:21) · watch
  35. Chapter 35: App. C: Suggestive Subjects for Speeches; Hints for Treatment (13:58) · watch
  36. Chapter 36: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - Newell Dwight Hillis (33:24) · watch
  37. Chapter 37: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - Henry Watterson (5:15) · watch
  38. Chapter 38: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - John Morley (29:30) · watch
  39. Chapter 39: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - Robert Toombs (20:07) · watch
  40. Chapter 40: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - Theodore Roosevelt (25:51) · watch
  41. Chapter 41: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - Alton B. Parker (3:56) · watch
  42. Chapter 42: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - John W. Wescott (5:54) · watch
  43. Chapter 43: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - Henry W. Grady (49:40) · watch
  44. Chapter 44: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - William Mc. Kinley (17:14) · watch
  45. Chapter 45: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - John Hay (20:51) · watch
  46. Chapter 46: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - William Jennings Bryan (56:44) · watch
  47. Chapter 47: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - Rufus Choate (20:49) · watch
  48. Chapter 48: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - Albert J. Beveridge (48:23) · watch
  49. Chapter 49: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - Russell Conwell (1:12:06) · watch
  50. Chapter 50: App. D: Speeches for Study and Practice - Victor Hugo (8:09) · watch

Full text

This work is too long to show on one page. Read it on Project Gutenberg · download ebook.txt

Sources

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