In The SpotLight: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing

By Janet E. Esposito

Book Overview

'In The Spotlight is a dynamic workbook for the anxious presenter or performer Short, easy-to-understand chapters with succinct summaries and powerful action steps, make this book a must-read '... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0974296627
• ISBN13: 9780974296623
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Janet E. Esposito
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Janet goes Deep and hits the nail on the Head!

To start off with, this book is for people who avoid public speaking situations (presentations/performances/not speaking up during meetings/keeping yourself back from voicing your opinion/avoiding presentations at Uni/avioding subjects that involve public speaking/afraid of promotion at work due to increased public speaking situations etc...). This book is for people who have a phobia of speaking in front of others and want to understand how they can accept, deal with, and conquer this fear (that is shared by LOADS of people worldwide).If you are one of the above, I recommend this book 110%. I read this book, took notes while I was reading, and did all her Action Steps.Janet hits the nail on the head and will give you that inner confidence that you need to speak up and voice your opinion whether its at work, Uni, or in your everyday life!***** - 5 stars

Hope and Healing

Fear of public speaking has been an enormous thorn in my side my entire adult life. Even when I haven't had to directly confront it for long stretches of time, thanks to my genius for avoidance behavior, it's always nagged at the back of my mind. I always knew I was basically well-adjusted, give or take a quirk or two, but, because of this seemingly insurmountable interior obstacle, this hidden limitation I told myself I couldn't get over, a small part of me clung to the idea that there might be something seriously wrong with me. If I gave a public presentation, I reasoned, the secret would be out; the world would know once and for all that I was "certifiable." Rejection, alienation and who knew what other horrible social tortures would befall me? Then I read Janet Esposito's book and attended one of her weekend workshops. My experience of the workshop: It was like being wheeled in wearing a body cast Saturday morning and walking out on my own two feet, with only a slight limp, Sunday evening.As for this book: I've read a fair number of books on social phobia, shyness and so on, and Esposito's is, in my opinion, far and away the best of the bunch. Not only is it the only one that nails the bullseye on this specific fear, but it's also a joy to read - conversational, yet authoritative; concise, yet comprehensive. If you feel like you're going to die at the very thought of public speaking or performing, get this book, go to the workshop [URL] and choose a new way to live instead.

Do yourself a BIG favor!

I agree with the many raves posted. In my opinion, this book is, hands-down, the most practical and helpful when it comes to actively overcoming a fear of public speaking--and I have read them all! I did take Janet's workshop, but I found the book very helpful even before taking her class. Anyone trying to overcome any of life's obstacles knows that there is no "magic pill"; Janet's strategy is no exception to that rule. But there are definitely shortcuts, and modeling yourself on people who have overcome a similar problem not only makes the process faster, but also gives the comfort of knowing that you're not alone--there are MANY otherwise competent and stable individuals who suffer from performance anxiety.If you suffer from performance anxiety, do yourself a big favor and read this book. Go the next step and visit Janet's web site at www.performanceanxiety.com. And if you really want to overcome your fear, take her workshop. It changed my life.

Overcoming the fear of public speaking and performing

"Little keys open huge treasures", therapy from Janet's book transforms a person who fears public speaking and performance to a very special person - an achiever. This I say because I used to initiate community projects but would never involve myself in positions that require public speaking. There were many other opportunities I missed in life because of this problem. When I read Janet's book, I was so surprised but also happy to find out that I was not alone in this problem. My problem was identified as related to one of the characters mentioned in chapter three of the book. Through out the book, my problem of public speaking was broken down in a way that I could understand it better. Janet's book has a unique way of making a person to be always in control of him/herself. Deep breathing exercises, relaxation exercises, and many more tips are all helpful ways I learnt to create a calm and resourceful body and mind. This book further makes you identify your source of fear and thereby get rid of it completely. I can now speak with confidence, no more negative thoughts, and many other other things that makes fear to spiral and hence creating tension in my body. Janet's book is a hand book everyone wishing to perform effectively should have. Thanks to Janet, rarely will there be so few who are gifted and wise enough to change the lives of so many, she is one of them. It is my wish that this book be made available to every library around the world so that many people who need this type of therapy may always refer to it. So far, I have not seen it done so beautifully in any book except hers. Many blessings for her unique skills.

It worked!

The best advice I have for you if you want to overcome your fear of public speaking is to read Janet's book, attended her Level I weekend class and follow-through on your action plan that you develop in class. Your anxiety will definitely go WAY down.Prior to doing that I had read many books and visited many websites. I even enrolled in Toastmasters and had performance coaching. I had only a small reduction in anxiety over the 18 months prior to going through Janet's class. Why is she so effective? First, she's been there. You can totally relate to her as she describes her experiences. Second, Janet resolved to overcome her problem and tried many different approaches to do so. Her book and class focus on the most effective methods that attack the problem from several directions. Third, you confront your fear in a very supportive environment with others that are in the same boat. The impact of sharing this struggle openly and supporting others is very powerful. Finally, Janet is a inspiration and a great coach. She is totally committed to her mission of helping others get the fear of public speaking behind them.I highly recommend her book and he class. You can get more info at performanceanxiety.com. Good luck. You can do it.