Where to Start with Carmine Gallo
Carmine Gallo is a communications coach, keynote speaker, and bestselling author who has spent his career studying what makes great communicators great. A former CNN and CBS journalist, he transitioned into coaching executives at companies like Pfizer, LinkedIn, Intel, and Coca-Cola on how to deliver presentations that move people to action. His books, which have been translated into more than 40 languages, break down the science and art of persuasive communication into principles anyone can learn. His most influential work, Talk Like TED (2014), analyzed hundreds of TED talks to reveal the patterns behind presentations that go viral. He is also the author of The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs and Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great. Gallo is a regular columnist for Forbes and Harvard Business Review, where he writes about leadership communication.
Start here
Talk Like TED
Carmine Gallo · 256 pages · 2014 · Easy
Themes: public speaking, presentation skills, storytelling, communication, persuasion
Gallo’s most influential book, and the best introduction to his approach to communication. By analyzing hundreds of the most popular TED talks and interviewing top presenters and neuroscience researchers, he distills nine principles that make presentations unforgettable. The framework covers three dimensions: emotional connection, novelty, and memorability.
Why Start Here
Talk Like TED represents Gallo’s core philosophy in its purest form: that great communication is a learnable skill grounded in science, not an innate gift. The book gives you a complete system for building and delivering presentations, from finding the emotional heart of your message to structuring your talk for maximum impact. Each principle is illustrated with specific TED talks you can watch, making the advice concrete and verifiable. This is the book that established Gallo as one of the leading voices in presentation coaching, and it remains the best entry point into his work.
What to Expect
A 256-page guide organized around nine secrets, each backed by real-world examples and scientific research. The tone is enthusiastic and accessible, aimed at anyone from nervous beginners to experienced speakers looking to raise their game. Gallo writes with the clarity you would expect from a communications coach, keeping chapters focused and actionable. The multimedia dimension sets it apart: reading with access to the referenced TED talks creates a richer learning experience.