Category Archives: Analysis of a Speech

An Evening with Kofi Annan

Posted on 02/04/2013 by John Zimmer

One of the great things about living in Geneva is the variety of interesting people who visit the city. A little over a month ago, I was able to take in a great lecture by Hans Rosling. (You can read … Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis of a Speech | Tagged Geneva, Kofi Annan, moderator, public speaking, United Nations, University of Geneva | 2 Comments

A Truly Heroic Speech

Posted on 02/02/2013 by John Zimmer

Six-year-old Benjamin Wheeler was one of the victims of the 14 December 2012 shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Recently, Benjamin’s father, David Wheeler, gave testimony at a public hearing before the Connecticut State Legislature’s Bipartisan … Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis of a Speech | Tagged David Wheeler, Newtown Connecticut, speech analysis | 14 Comments

Reflections on Lance Armstrong’s Confession

Posted on 25/01/2013 by John Zimmer

An awful lot of ink has been spilt over the past few days about Lance Armstrong in the wake of his confession to Oprah Winfrey. And more ink will doubtless continue to be spilt in the weeks, months and years … Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis of a Speech | Tagged Confession, Desmond Tutu, Greg LeMond, Lance Armstrong, Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, public speaking, Tour de France, United States Anti-Doping Agency, World Anti-Doping Agency | 29 Comments

Analysis of a Speech by Janine Shepherd

Posted on 16/12/2012 by John Zimmer

Janine Shepherd is one of those people whose picture should appear beneath the definition of “remarkable” in the dictionary. I chose one of Janine’s quotes as the 100th quote for public speakers, and you can read a short summary of … Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis of a Speech | Tagged Humour, Janine Shepherd, language, props, Rhetorical Devices, speech analysis, TED | 7 Comments

What Bill Clinton Wrote and What Bill Clinton Said

Posted on 21/09/2012 by John Zimmer

As the 2012 Republican and Democratic National Conventions fade into memory, I was fortunate enough to come across an excellent piece of work in The Atlantic Wire by freelance writer Dashiell Bennett that I had to share. For me, the rhetorical … Continue reading →

Posted in Analysis of a Speech | Tagged Bill Clinton, Democratic National Convention, impromptu speaking, Republican National Convention, speech analysis | 2 Comments

Clint Eastwood and the Empty Chair

Posted on 11/09/2012 by John Zimmer

“Who is sitting in that empty chair?” — Eugene Ormandy By now you have probably heard about all the fuss over Clint Eastwood’s speech at the Republican National Convention. You may have even heard some of the jokes about “Eastwooding” and … Continue reading →