Forrest Gump is known for having said life is like a box of chocolates. It occurred to the author in a dream one night, that life is more like a bowl of strawberries.

More precisely, public speaking is like a bowl of strawberries. A few strawberries, freshly picked off the plant and immediately eaten, can be delicious.

A bushel basket of them sitting in front of you with the expectation you had to eat them, here and now, wouldn’t be. But what about a nice strawberry sundae or a good-sized, mouth-watering portion of strawberry shortcake?

When it comes to public speaking, there are times when fewer words are better. There are times we are bombarded with a speaker telling us everything they know about a subject.

There’s too much to absorb… so we tune out. Then there is the strawberry shortcake of presentations.

This is where the speaker whets your appetite, gives you just enough of a serving that you are close to being full, and leaves you wanting more.

Veteran Toastmaster of over 26 years, Rae A. Stonehouse provides sage advice and helpful tips to whet your appetite to become a more dynamic speaker and presenter.

Working with words: Adding life to your oral presentations is for any speaker or presenter who wants to take their speaking to the next level.

The book explores the following public speaking strategies:

• The language of speaking
• Improving your descriptive powers
• Using vocal variety to make your presentations come alive
• Using gestures for a powerful speech