Talk Like Ted: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds

“Better-than-average communicators are generally more successful than other people, but great communicators start movements.”

This quote is at the core of Carmine Gallo’s reasoning for writing the book. He isn’t interested in merely providing the reader with the means to communicate well. Instead, he wants the reader to live up to their fullest potential.

“You’re still alive. That means your life has purpose. You were meant for greatness. Don’t sabotage your potential because you can’t communicate your ideas.”

Gallo attempts to appeal to the reader’s emotions in this statement and builds on the previous quote about good versus great communicators to sell himself and the book: You have potential that you should want to fulfill. To avoid “sabotaging” yourself, listen to what he says.

“In any language, on any continent, in every country, those speakers who genuinely express their passion and enthusiasm for the topic are the ones who stand apart as inspiring leaders.”

Gallo underlines his main point in Chapter 1 about the importance of passion to public speaking by referencing the universality of the idea. It doesn’t matter where you come from. The infectiousness of passion and charisma transcends boundaries and affects everyone.