According to author and lecturer Dale Carnegie, public speaking is the one skill that can bring you more success, opportunity, and fulfillment than any other. In Public Speaking for Success, Carnegie argues that as a skilled speaker, you'll be able to change people's hearts and minds, inspire action, improve your relationships, and advance your career. Most people fear speaking in public, but that’s only natural—and with Carnegie’s time-tested lessons, you can learn to overcome that fear, take the stage, and speak with confidence and poise.

Our guide is based on the updated 2006 edition of Public Speaking for Success (originally published in 1926). We share Carnegie’s essential teachings about why public speaking matters, how to overcome the fear of getting on stage, and how to craft and deliver a memorable speech. In commentary, we’ll explore how speech-giving has changed since Carnegie’s time and compare his ideas to those in two popular books on TED talks.