The BNH Book Review
“Don’t Say Um: How to Communicate Effectively to Live a Better Life” by Michael Chad Hoeppner
2025/Hachette Go
$30/288 pages
“Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves” by Alison Wood Brooks
2025/Crown
$30/336 pages
Making a presentation can be nerve racking. But it doesn’t have to be. Starting at the very beginning and moving step-by-step, “Don’t Say Um” by Michael Chad Hoeppner offers the know-how and confidence you need to be prepared to do your best from the moment you clear your throat. Hoeppner even prepares readers physically, by offering pointers on getting your body ready where to look while speaking, how to breathe so you’re not as nervous, and what to do with your hands. Can you walk around? Should you? How do you keep an audience interested and on their toes? These things—and more—are in this book, along with activities, corrections, and ideas to make your presentation shine.
But what about those face-to-face conversations at work? If you struggle with those, or with email, phone, and v-mail, pick up “Talk” by Alison Wood Brooks.
Brooks presents “Talk Maxims” that teach readers how to have a beneficial back-and-forth discourse, when to use (and not use) humor, and how to control a conversation in a good way. If you’re leading a team or a brainstorm session, you’ll learn how to get the best out of everyone. Brooks explains how Talk Maxims can help when speaking on the phone, crafting enticing emails and texts, and using social media at work and at home.
