“Speak Without Fear is one of the most insightful and meaningful books into the cause of fear, that I have ever read. This book is amazingly clear and understandable. The author has drawn upon her several years of life and professional experience to identify, and actually solve the reasons behind stagefright and lack of self-confidence. This magical book is for everyone. Anyone who is afraid to speak in public, or who has a poor self image, or who has confidence problems and doesn’t understand why, will be helped tremendously. I think this book will also be especially useful to artists (musicians, comedians, singers, actors, etc.)who want to perform or speak in public, but lack the courage and self belief necessary to achieve success. The book is designed in two parts, which is very appropriate because the first part explains the “why” behind the mystery of fear, while the second part actually shows you how to become a natural, professional performer. The book reveals an uncomplicated and effective approach to solving one of life’s most crippling conditions: fear. The author, Ivy Naistadt, is obviously an expert in understanding, and conveying how fear gets into your mind in the first place. It comes in the way of “transmitters”, the people you have been in close contact with all your life. She also identifies “The Six Dreadly Fears” and she shows you how to clear them out of your life once and for all! There are simple step by step instructions that teach you how to identify the source of your fears. This, I thought, was the most important part of the book because what I found out about myself, were things that I never thought of before, or maybe blocked out. The book’s methods actually work. Once you know where your fears come from, you naturally become empowered to get rid of them.
Finally, one of the BEST things about the book is it’s kindness. You will feel like a human being again after reading it.”

“Great book. The thing I really like about this book is that it helps the reader identify all the reasons for why we all get nervous and gives us a blueprint for getting past them and/or working through them. The nervousness profiles are terrific - I had a presentation a few weeks ago and normally I just “wing it” but this time I realized I didn’t know the material as deeply as usual and it was pretty technical. I had a bad experience presenting a few years ago under similar circumstances so I started getting nervous and dreading it. I used the profiles to narrow down my type, followed the recommendations and it worked! The methods for preparing and organizing are first rate and there’s a gold mine of tips of all kinds. The author’s real world experiences are often amusing and those of her clients are insightful. The book has a delightful tone that keeps it light and easy even when uncomfortable topics are discussed. As a senior manager, my responsibility is to guide others to improve and I’m recommending it to my team. I think just about anyone who needs to know how to improve public speaking and who speaks or gives presentations could benefit greatly by reading this.”

“They say that we teach what we want to learn but in the case of this book by Ivy Naistadt, the author is obviously teaching what she has already learned. Nothing is more difficult than putting a practical program into plain words that guide a reader step by step from identifying the key blocks to speaking effectively through doing the basic things that remove the blocks. This book is no feel-good bromide. It consists of jazzy anecdotes based on Naistadt’s interesting life of acting, speaking professionally, and coaching executives and presents a detailed useful program for translating her experience and insights into action. This book is well written and incredibly helpful, and it actually does what it says it will do, present a total system for becoming a natural confident communicator. If that’s what the reader wants, this book is a good place to find it.”

“I’ve never written a book review before, but I just finished Speak Without Fear and I wanted to let others know if you’ve got any fear of speaking in public - THIS is the book to read. I found it to be an enormous help in breaking down why I have and how I can overcome my fear of public speaking. Ms. Naistadt obviously has a great deal of experience in helping others conquer this fear. I was personally encouraged by the examples she gives of people she’s worked with, especially those in the corporate world. Her descriptions of their problems really hit home. And her own anecdotes working as an actress and public speaker made me laugh - alot! The book moves from defining the various fears of speaking (and why we might have them) to describing, very specifically, how to break down and prepare a speech as well as give one. And it does this with humor, insight and obvious expertise. (Her “Fearbusters” alone are worth the price.) I’m glad she wrote it - and grateful I found it!”

“This is the 3rd one I’ve read on speaking and it really turned my head around. It has such a fresh style! Its also the only one where I felt the author was speaking to me. Speaking in public always been tough for me and I actually feel charged up for my next presentation. Tons of tools, tips, stories, etc. Loved it.”

“This book is right on. When you read it you connect with it, no matter what type of speaking or presentations you do or what size groups you are in front of I believe this will help. I will be giving this book as a gift to a number of people I know who can use the suggestions Ivy makes. I have read many other business self-help books but this is the first that is so clear and concise and actually fun that you feel you can change what you’re doing immediately. Ivy’s friendly style and personal examples makes you think you’ve known her for many years.”

“This is a very strong tool for those looking to improve their public speaking skills. The author is evidently very experienced in this area, and she offers very valuable insights into the tools, tricks and methods of success in her profession.
One thing I did not like about this book, is that the author continually tries to connect a speaker’s anxiety or poor performance to some traumatic episode that occurred in their childhood. For example, a business executive who, as a child had his parents continually remind him that kids “are to be seen and not heard” had trouble being confident and articulate in front of an audience. This is great for those who have such experiences, but leaves many of us out in the cold.
I have had no such traumatic experiences, but still get anxious before and during a presentation. Although this “natural anxiety” is not covered in much detail, the author does do a good job explaining how to channel the anxiety into a productive energy, and she does well explaining the importance of rehearsing before presenting.”

“Thank you for writing this book! Purchased this book to help me prepare for an upcoming presentation and found it to be extremely valuable. The first part helped me understand the reasons I get nervous speaking in public. This was an eye opener! The author understands performance difficulties having been a performer herself. She outlines myths about public speaking and how we harbor past experiences that impact on our present state of mind. These are right on target. The second half is a clear blueprint for putting together your talk. I followed the steps Ivy Naistadt lays out which were easy to follow and to my surprise, I received extremely positive feedback on my presentation. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn a comprehensive approach to giving presentations.”

“I found this book to be immediate help, I would recommend it to anyone new or experienced at speaking before a group. Part 1 was the most helpful, many books cover how to speak in public but this is the first one to cover where the fear originates and how to over come it.”

“I picked up this book because I am mentoring someone who wants to overcome their fear of public speaking. While I have extensive experience as a public speaker, I did not have any references to help my protege. After reviewing several books I chose this one because Ivy addresses some areas which I consider important including the physical aspect of public speaking and not merely the preparation of a speech. I laughed as I read this book because what she recommends I employ in my public speaking. The one topic I did not see was controlling nervous habits such as verbal fillers and physical twitches. Overall, highly recommended! I am encouraging my 12-year old daughter to read it to strengthen her school presentations.”

“Good book to learn about what you don’t know when it comes to public speaking. Good for introduction to public speaking courses.”

“This book is valuable not only for those who have a fear of public speaking, but also for those who wish to come across in a way that is professional and interesting. In the world of continuing professional education in my own field, dentistry, I often find speakers that know their material, but are boring in terms of their delivery or in the way organize their material. Also as a speaker myself, I have experienced the challenges of putting together a well crafted presentation. Speak Without Fear addresses the issues of stage presence and performance in terms of how they apply to making presentations. I highly recommend it for professionals who are interested in taking their skills up several notches.”