Viv Groskop is a writer, stand up comedian and TV and radio presenter. She wrote this book to help women cultivate the confidence of public speaking and guiding them through a series of in-depth expositions on incredible speeches made by the most impactful women in history; showcasing how women can mandate power by using the most powerful tool they hold which is their voices. This book is a declaration in celebrating women and the power we have, and how much change we make to impact the world and the next generation, by speaking.
Viv Groskop’s brilliant thought process shines through in a very interesting way in this brilliant book. The book How to Own the Room depicts the way we as women can get over the fear of public speaking, and the anxiety of standing up in front of a small or large audience. The fear of performance is something most people are afraid of, but this book will help guide you into how to deal with those moments of dismay and the moments when you are made to feel less than in the workplace or in your everyday life.
This book is inspirational and inspiring from reading the speeches of incredible women such as Michelle Obama, and how she uses a tool Viv Groskop has created called ‘Happy High Status’; the idea that someone can occupy, assert and present themselves of high value in a room when talking to anybody from the Queen of England to dipolamants, to the rich and famous to the homeless, and still give of a warm and empathetic demeanor.
How to Own the Room will make you realise that you don’t need to be the best speaker, you just need to stand up and be brave and know that whatever you have to say is important and people will listen. From Virginia Woolf’s leisurely pacing and Oprah Winfrey’s mastery of inner conviction, this book will make you start to understand how these women make everyone around them sit up and listen to their every word? And how can you achieve that same effect in your own life? Viv Groskop is a brilliant writer and is so very honest and engaging, and an extremely funny person and it shows in her writing. This book has personally given me the tools such as the art of talking to people and winning them round to your cause and has encouraged me to speak up, when necessary, it is an empowering book and celebrates the power women hold in their voices. One thing to know when reading this book is that everyone is different when publicly speaking and Viv has skillfully given different examples of speakers who all use different tools and you can learn so much from each one of them and relate it to a certain aspect of your own life.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it if you are someone who fears public speaking or are afraid to stand up at work or in an aspect of your life. This book will give you the tools and confidence to own the room. It is an easy read and I highly recommend it to any woman of any age.
Reviewed By: Horeja Jobe, Administrative Assistant, Women in Tech forum
April 2021