Written by Lehrman, who served as chief speechwriter to Vice President Al Gore and the Democratic National Committee in the 2004 election, it is compared on the cover to Strunk and White's The Elements of Style--except for the spoken word. Although a few brief sections do focus on the art of speaking in front of an audience, this is mostly a guidebook for speechwriters with vital tips on understanding the potential audience, the need for extensive research, and utilizing language that people will understand and remember. The need to personalize the style, through the use of wit and anecdotes, is also strongly advised. Contains an appendix with some examples of full-text speeches along with ratings on the word count, grade level, sentence length, and use of passive voice. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)