The book for Economics came out 20 years ago. Before we even started to write the book,

there was already something that gave me a sense of dread, the media tour that I'd have to do

when the book was released. I was a professor, and I was quite comfortable giving a 90-minute lecture, but going on the

daily show with John Stewart or Good Morning America, that was something completely different.

I was terrified. And so were the folks at Harper Collins who were publishing our book. They rightly

sensed that I had no idea how to talk to the media.

And they knew if I did a terrible job, the book would flop.

So they brought in their secret weapon, Bill McGowan.

Who doesn't want to step off a podium and have people say, wow, that was incredible?

Welcome to people I mostly admire with Steve Levitt.

Bill McGowan is an Emmy-winning journalist and an expert on public speaking, who's worked

with an incredible list of clients,

including Kim Kardashian, Jeff Bezos, Alex Rodriguez, and Cheryl Sandberg. Still, I was

resistant to meeting with him. I thought he'd bore me with cliched advice, but boy, was I wrong.

In a few hours, he gave me a whole new way of understanding

how I could much more effectively communicate.

When I heard he had a new book out called Speak Memorably,

The Art of Captivating an Audience,

I knew I had to get him on this show to share his insights with you, the listeners.

I talked with Bill a day or two after I attended my son's college graduation,

and I started our conversation by telling him about my experience listening to many good speakers

and many bad speakers at the graduation ceremony.

...