Building A Speech

Metcalfe's BUILDING A SPEECH, Fifth Edition, continues the tradition of providing proven texts at lower prices. With 20 chapters organized into five units, BUILDING A SPEECH guides students through a step-by-step process of acquiring public speaking skills by observation, peer criticism, personal experience and instructor guidance. Readings and exercises provide assistance in developing informative and persuasive speeches as well as research and speechwriting skills. This book establishes a caring environment for the learning process through a conversational style that aims to both interest and motivate students, while conveying encouragement through topics such as apprehension and listening that will help students to realize that they are not alone in their struggles. It is grounded in the philosophy that students can master the steps of speech construction if provided with a caring environment, clear blueprints, and creative examples.

The top cat in a household is reluctant to accept the arrival of a new kitten but decides to share various survival secrets with it.

An examination of more than sixty years of successes and failures in developing technologies that allow computers to understand human spoken language. Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey famously featured HAL, a computer with the ability to hold lengthy conversations with his fellow space travelers. More than forty years later, we have advanced computer technology that Kubrick never imagined, but we do not have computers that talk and understand speech as HAL did. Is it a failure of our technology that we have not gotten much further than an automated voice that tells us to "say or press 1"? Or is there something fundamental in human language and speech that we do not yet understand deeply enough to be able to replicate in a computer? In The Voice in the Machine, Roberto Pieraccini examines six decades of work in science and technology to develop computers that can interact with humans using speech and the industry that has arisen around the quest for these technologies. He shows that although the computers today that understand speech may not have HAL's capacity for conversation, they have capabilities that make them usable in many applications today and are on a fast track of improvement and innovation. Pieraccini describes the evolution of speech recognition and speech understanding processes from waveform methods to artificial intelligence approaches to statistical learning and modeling of human speech based on a rigorous mathematical model--specifically, Hidden Markov Models (HMM). He details the development of dialog systems, the ability to produce speech, and the process of bringing talking machines to the market. Finally, he asks a question that only the future can answer: will we end up with HAL-like computers or something completely unexpected?

Want to create more persuasive and memorable speeches and presentations?Looking for ways to promote your products, services and ideas to diverse audiences? Speaking at an important event and need a powerful speech that creates an impact?Speech Power -- The Leader's Guide to Creating Powerful Speeches and Presentations uncovers the essential elements for speaking to influence, inform and inspire your audiences in any situation. The book gives you the tools to lead with more powerful speeches and presentations, whatever the objective, audience or event. It shows you how to: * Develop clear messages that are easy to understand and remember* Create openings that win attention * Use stories for maximum impact* Build rapport with audiences through humour* Write effective endings to get the results you want* Apply the language of leadership to ensure your message is remembered and shared* Develop a writing style that's clear and easy to deliver* Combine authority, logic and emotion for maximum impact.Author Michael Gladkoff has spent over thirty years writing speeches and presentations. As a professional speechwriter and persuasion expert, he has helped leaders in business, government and education communicate clearly and concisely. In addition to writing, Michael teaches persuasive writing and presentation skills.

FOREWORD BY GUY KAWASAKI Presentation designer and internationally acclaimed communications expert Garr Reynolds, creator of the most popular Web site on presentation design and delivery on the Net — presentationzen.com — shares his experience in a provocative mix of illumination, inspiration, education, and guidance that will change the way you think about making presentations with PowerPoint or Keynote. Presentation Zen challenges the conventional wisdom of making "slide presentations" in today’s world and encourages you to think differently and more creatively about the preparation, design, and delivery of your presentations. Garr shares lessons and perspectives that draw upon practical advice from the fields of communication and business. Combining solid principles of design with the tenets of Zen simplicity, this book will help you along the path to simpler, more effective presentations.