July 2022 – Present like at TED

Martin Vasquez, a member of the Red Button network, talks about the book.

The famous TED conferences have shown the world the power of the spoken word. Eighteen-minute captivating talks called TED Talks, available for free at www.ted.com, inspire millions of viewers worldwide with new ideas, change their long-held attitudes, and motivate them to take action. TED speakers are living proof that spoken language can be more powerful than written text—if it is carefully crafted and masterfully delivered.

That’s why TED curator Anderson took on a new mission: to turn viewers into speakers. He poured everything he learned during fourteen years of preparing speeches for figures like former US president Bill Clinton, U2’s Bono, scientist Kenneth Robinson, Susan Cain, Hans Rosling, and hundreds of other personalities into his book. Alongside them, he learned how to best approach a topic, engage the audience’s attention, and build a strong point. He also observed how individual speakers evolve and what helps them improve. The result is a fundamental textbook of modern rhetoric for anyone who ever speaks in public.

After its release in early May 2016, the book immediately became a New York Times bestseller and received many enthusiastic reviews. “No one in the world understands public speaking better than Chris Anderson,” said Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the bestseller Eat, Pray, Love and a TED speaker herself. Besides English, the book is published in 25 other languages.

Who is Martin Vasquez?

Martin Vasquez is a specialist in presentation and speaking skills, persuasion, and improvisation. Since 2003, over 16,500 participants have attended his trainings, including TEDx Prague speakers, which Martin co-organizes. He regularly hosts events and performs publicly as a stand-up comedian. In 2002, he co-founded the Czech Improvisation League and the improvisation theater JUST! IMPRO; in 2012, he founded the IMPRO INSTITUT research and development center for improvisation; and in 2013, he established the School of Improvisation. He has published books titled Be masters of improvisation and Training masters of improvisation.