BY SHEIKH ABDUR REHMAN (23100194)
"The Art of Meeting people" is a book written by E.H. Welford, having chapters on public speaking and the elements of command.
About the Author:
E. H. Welford is an underrated author of books having topics on management, common sense, public speaking, elements of command, and fear. The author uses simple language for the audience to understand the text. The author also talks about basic communication ethics, which people usually do not follow.
About the book:
"The Art of meeting people" talks about groups, personality, body, mind, spirit, storytelling, the attitude of mind, some bad communication practices, misunderstandings, freedom, action, and most importantly, public speaking, and the elements of command.
Summary:
I found the book very interesting, and after reading it, I have improved my communication ethics to a great extent. The book talks about people's thinking and emphasizes that not everyone thinks the same, and we have to accept the opinions of everyone. Moreover, one should keep the attitude of a traveler; when the days are good, one should be happy, and when the days are rough, one should keep calm.
The book talks about personality, for example, how a person should behave in family and office or school, and these elements contribute to our personality. It talks about how certain people lack personality and why it is important to maintain it for our integrity and comfort in living. The book focuses on tiny details, such as our daily habits to eating and drinking, from standing and sitting easily to controlling the eyes, and from courage to confidence and command. These specific details have helped me a lot to improve my functioning in a professional setting as well as in a personal setting.
The book talks about an exciting topic, i.e., speaking. The author has explained how to breathe while talking, how to make the proper use of the throat for speaking, how to control the nose while speaking, accent, pronunciation, reading, pitching, and whatnot. The attention to detail of these topics makes the book stand out.
It also talks about how to say the names of people and greet them at parties, at receptions, and public functions. It talks about staying simple in conversations, opening up easily, asking what type of questions to others, the difference between wit and humour, observation and inference. It talks about the company to keep and how to make money through connections as well.
It talks about how to be a good listener, how to correct people, how not to interrupt them, and why do we make blunders. It talks about misunderstandings and explains why we should say proper names to avoid misunderstandings. Moreover, it emphasizes our tone too, and we should express our disagreements more nicely.
It talks about public speaking and how public speaking is a test of character. How our words matter in public speaking, and what impact do they create on others. It talks about the impression of strength and defends the stance by giving an example of Mr. Gerald Balfour, ex-Chief Secretary of Ireland that how he manages to control a hostile meeting by managing his calm and ease, and how his confidence gave the people a lesson to learn towards the end of the meeting. The book also explains the detailed procedure of public speaking for those who are new at it and how practice makes one perfect.
Lastly, the book talks about elements of command in which the author explains how control of one's self should be habitual and how it can help a person succeed. It talks about how spirit, character, and moral face include courage, willpower, and staying properly. It talks about how animals and children have command and how they perceive our actions quickly, how to maintain temperament, and what adventures lie in one's temperament.
This is what the book talks about. I have summarized the book to my best. I would recommend all my colleagues read this book once if you get a chance to read it.