Category: speaking
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The Longevity of Our Work
I’m not a Flash designer, but Jonathan Harris’ inspiring and rousing speech from Flash on the Beach 2008 really got me thinking about the longevity of my work. It appears that some attendees of the conference felt Harris was admonishing the Flash community. However, after reading this speech I feel inspired and I can’t help…
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Ted Kennedy’s Eulogy for Bobby Kennedy
Earlier this week I listened to and read Ted Kennedy’s eulogy for his brother, Robert Kennedy. I had never heard this speech before and it is a fantastic oration worth listening to in full. However… I would advise listening to the speech on the embedded video while reading along so that you can hear the…
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Ira Glass on Effective Storytelling
Ira Glass is a master storyteller, as anyone who has ever listened to This American Life can attest. Below, in a series of occasionally hilarious videos and articles, Ira reveals his secrets of effective storytelling: from how to tell when a story isn’t working, to turning the creative process into a polished, finished product. The 13 principles to creating “more, better…
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The Art of the Commencement Speech
The Art of the Commencement Speech is a project by The Humanity Initiative to collect the best commencement addresses since 1936. To date there are 29 speeches available, from John F. Kennedy (American University, 1963), Václav Havel (Harvard University, 1995) and The Dalai Lama (Emory University, 1998). The commencement ceremony affirms each student’s search for…
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Better Communication
Many people equate good communication skills with the ability to speak well and listen well. This assumption misses one essential component: two-way communication skills. Primarily written for mentors, this advice on good two-way communication is particularly useful for all. I especially like the Traffic Light Rule of communication: During the first 30 seconds of an…
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Inauguration Roundup
The Internet is bustling with news of yesterday’s inauguration of President Obama (it feels strange writing that) and I feel somewhat guilty adding to the overabundance of news. As a compromise I’m going to limit myself to this single roundup post. One intrepid soul has compiled a collection of videos of every inauguration speech from the…
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Obama’s Presidential Rhetoric
The Guardian presents an analysis of Obama’s campaign trail speeches, noting particularly how they recall ancient Greek imagery and skills from great Roman orators. During the Roman republic (and in ancient Athens) politics was oratory. In Athens, questions such as whether or not to declare war on an enemy state were decided by the entire electorate (or…
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Barack Obama’s Speechwriters
A profile of Barack Obama’s speechwriter, Jon Favreau, 26, from a January ’08 edition of The New York Times: “The trick of speechwriting, if you will, is making the client say your brilliant words while somehow managing to make it sound as though they issued straight from their own soul,” said the writer Christopher Buckley, who was a…
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Passive vs. Active Questions
Simple advice on how to phrase questions when seeking advice: use the active voice and question marks. When seeking information from busy people via email the little things matter. Quick, minor tip: use a question mark if you’re asking a question. Compare the following cases: Case A: Do you have any feedback for me on this…
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The Warren Buffett Interviews
In my opinion there are two great Warren Buffett interviews; both by CNBC: The Billionaire Next Door, where Buffett discusses a couple of his investments and addresses his personal investment history and philosophy. J.D. at Get Rich Slowly gives a good overview of the interview. His epic three-hour interview with Becky Quick (transcript only).