Dr. John Shosky | Public Speaking Training | Leadership Training | Speechwriting

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John Shosky has been a professional speechwriter, coach, and trainer for over twenty years.  He has written over 2500 speeches for government officials, corporate CEOs and board members, political candidates, university presidents, and public interest advocates.  He has considerable experience with written testimony for those speaking before Congress or other official bodies of inquiry.

Dr. Shosky also is well-known for his speech-coaching and public speaking training, having conducted hundreds of workshops and personal training sessions.  For instance, since the beginning of 2006, Dr. Shosky has conducted more than 100 workshops on public speaking before a wide range of audiences in the United States, Africa, and Europe. 

He has been a speechwriter at the highest levels of government.  In his governmental career, Dr. Shosky has served in the Reagan, Bush (41) and Bush (43) Administrations, working in the Executive Office of the President, White House Public Affairs, The Department of Health and Human Services, The Department of Education, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

He has worked extensively for clients in the private sector, primarily top executives in Fortune 500 companies.

Dr. Shosky also has published a fair amount under his own name.  He has authored more than thirty articles on topics in public speaking, logic, health care, history, and philosophy.  He has also edited two books, one on public policy in the field of communications (with Robert Emmit Lee) and one on the philosophical essays of Antony Flew.

There is an academic side to his life.  He has taught more than one hundred university courses at seven colleges or universities, including American University, George Mason University, and Charles IV University (Prague).  At American University, where he has been an adjunct professorial lecturer since 1987, he has taught in five different departments:  philosophy, justice, international relations, physics, and the honors program.

Testimonials:  Dr. Shosky always receives the highest ratings for his presentations.  His most recent presentations received written comments like “extremely knowledgeable,” “made me care about speeches,” “often brought tears to my eyes with his insights,” “we’ve got to have this guy working for us,” and “Wow!” 

Service Offerings:

SPEECH TRAINING
We take you through the introductory steps of public speaking:  audience analysis, thesis development, research, message preparation, public speaking, use of voice, gestures, eye contact, and podium control.  We help you to maximize your persuasive capabilities.

ADVANCED PUBLIC SPEAKING
In the advanced module, we make the speaker the “voice of collective assent.”  That means we look at the speaking opportunity as a vehicle to unite the listening audience, initiate behavior change, and expand the frontiers of the discussion.  We look at argument development, word usage, use of examples, speech as argument, speech as action, and non-verbal complimentary techniques.  We also work on the specific needs of each speaker within context and situation.

EXECUTIVE-LEVEL PUBLIC SPEAKING
This is intensive one-on-one training involving videotaping, audience reaction, correction of speaking problems, and development of a unique rhetorical persona.

DEBATE PREPARATION/PREPARATION FOR TALK SHOWS
Most political campaigns now involve a debate format at some point.  Debates, interviews, or discussions on radio, television, or the Internet involve quick responses that are accurate and persuasive.  In this module we work to develop message preparation, anticipation of questions, powerful responses, techniques to channel arguments in a favorable direction, elegance and confidence, and an engaging style.

SPEECHWRITING
We write the speech you need.  It is that simple.  We have considerable experience (over twenty-three years of speechwriting with over 2300 speeches on the public record), both in the United States and abroad. 

RESEARCH
We are able to provide a wide range of research skills, regardless of the topic.  We have research experience in various fields, including law and medicine.  Many of our clients like background research on an event or speech, usually in the form of a briefing book. 

LEADERSHIP TRAINING
We identify the traits of leadership.  We then work with each individual to develop those traits.  For example, because leadership starts at the top, we work to develop a language of leadership.  This is training that is highly individualized, so we focus our efforts on the specific needs of the client.  However, we also offer group training.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Clear communication in the workplace is essential to the bottom line.  We offer training to improve workplace communication.  We also offer seminars on dressing for success, analysis of advertising strategies, and strategic planning.

Fee Structure:

$7500 for a presentation or workshop
$5000 for a ghostwritten speech
$3000 a day for one-on-one training

all plus expenses

Products for Sale:

Upcoming products include a book “Language and Leadership” and a monthly newsletter “Dynamic Speaking.” The book may be pre-ordered at the special price of $30.

The newsletter, which we will start in September, will be $30 annually for twelve issues on-line.

Books/Edited

(editor) Essays on Russell and Wittgenstein, Prague:  Filosofia, 2007 (forthcoming).  I contributed an introduction (with Rom Harré) and two chapters.
(editor) Philosophical Essays, Antony Flew, Rowman and Littlefield, 1998 (hb and pb).  I also contributed an introduction to the essays.
(collaborated with Robert Emmet Lee) In the Public Interest:  My Life from the FBI to the FCC, University Press of America, 1996 (hb), 1997 (pb).

Selected Articles, Editorials, and Introductions

"Afterward: The Moral Imperative to Help Troubled Youth", for Quanah Parker's A Reflection of Ourselves, University Press of American, 2007 (forthcoming).

Úvodní Slov” (Introduction), in Bertrand Russell’s Problémy Filosofie (Problems of Philosophy), translated by Karel Berka and Ladislav Nagy, O.P.S., 2005, pp. 3-7.

“A.G.N. Flew”, Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers, Thommes Press, 2005.

"Philosophy and Public Policy", Linacre Journal, Number 5, April 2002, pp. 80-93.

"Ryle's Reading of the Tractatus", Logica Yearbook 2001, pp. 57-66.

"'Renesance' Bertrand Russella" ("Bertrand Russell's Renaissance"), Filosoficky Casopis, Volume 49, Number 5, 2001, pp. 771-782.

"Forward" for Yuval Levin's The Tyranny of Reason, University Press of America, 2000, pp. vii-viii.

"A Top Down Theory of Logical Modeling", Topics in Conceptual Analysis and Modeling, edited by Pavel Materna, Filosofia (Prague), 2000, pp. 398-402.

"Hamlet's Horatio:  A.J. Ayer on the Tenth Anniversary of his Death", Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 101, 1999 Compilation Issue, pp. 8-12.

"Ryle's Debt to Russell", Linacre Journal, No. 3, November 1999, pp. 55-69.

"Introduction: Ryle's Oxford Legacy," and "Ayer's View of the Vienna Circle:  The Linacre Letter" (with Rom Harré), Linacre Journal, No. 3, November 1999, pp. 5-9 and 27-37.

"Conversation with Sir Peter Strawson", Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 100, November, 1998, pp. 21-29.

"Russell's Legacy in the Czech Republic", Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 98, May, 1998, pp. 16-25.

"Antony Flew:  Profile of a Philosophical Humanist", Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 97, February, 1998, pp. 13-16.

"Conversation with Rom Harré", The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 95, August, 1997 pp. 11-14.

"Russell's Use of Truth Tables", Russell: the Journal of the Bertrand Russell Archives, New Series, Vol. 17, No.1, Summer, 1997, pp. 11-26.

"Philosophy and Politics", The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 93, February, 1997, pp. 12-16.

"Conversation with Antony Flew", The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 92, November, 1996, pp. 15-17.

"Logic and Covert Epistemology:  Russell's Use of Logical Form in 1913", Logica '95:  Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium, pp. 31-38.

"Conference Report:  Russell and the Origins of Analytical Philosophy", The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 88, November, 1995, pp. 20-3.

"Russell and the Contemplation of Philosophy",  Free Inquiry, Vol. 15, No. 4, Fall, 1995, pp. 41-2.

"Healthy Children Ready to Learn" (with Antonia Novello), Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 268, Number 13, October 7, 1992, p. 1643.

"Underage Drinking -- Laws, Loopholes, and Enforcement" (with Antonia Novello), Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 268, Number 11, September 16, 1992, p. 1391.

"Underage Drinking -- A Report From the Inspector General" (with Antonia Novello), Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 268, Number 8, August 26, 1992, p. 961.

"A Medical Response to Domestic Violence" (with Antonia Novello, Mark Rosenberg and Linda Saltzman), Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 267, Number 23, June 17, 1992, p. 3132.

"A Medical Response to Violence" (with Antonia Novello and Robert Froehlke), Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 267, Number 22, June 10, 1992, p. 3007.

"The Twilight of the Dawn: Biomedical Research and the Revolution in American Medicine," (with Shannon Callaway) American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Student Journal, Summer, 1990, pp. 6-11.

"New Challenges in the Fight Against AIDS," Cincinnati Medicine, Spring, 1990, pp. 26-29.

"Technology Transfers -- The Human Side of Aerospace Engineering" (with Karen Pierce), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Student Journal, Fall, 1989, pp. 14-19.

"A Rational Next Step," RX Home Care, July, 1989, pp. 35-38.

"The Need to Expand Private Health Plan Options" (with Secretary Otis Bowen), St. Louis University Public Law Review, Volume VIII, Number Two, 1989, pp. 233-243.

"Building Bridges in the Fight Against AIDS," Cincinnati Medicine, Winter, 1988, pp. 18-21.

"Crossing Currents:  Diary of an Internship," Cincinnati Medicine, Spring, 1987, pp. 49‑53.

Letters to the Editor

“Science, Ethics Near Critical Moment”, Washington Times, February 18, 2004, p. A20.

"Berlin and Bacall:  Letter to the Editor", The New Republic, March 20, 1995, p. 4.

"Underage Drinking:  Letter to the Editor", Journal of the American Medical Association, Volume 269, Number 11, March 17, 1993, p. 1385.

On-Line Writing

"To the Student..." Response to Zuzana Honzikové in English and translated into Czech, www.cuni.cz/-jirkup/logika/shosky.htm, Logica (Department of Logic On-Line Newsletter), 1998.  Honzikové's initial comments in Czech (translated into English) may be found at www.cuni.cz/-pesina/archiv/0198/shosky.htm.  Further discussion by David Gottlich in Czech in "Another Conclusion", Singleton, June 20, 1998, at www.cuni.cz/-pesina/singleton/0398/ohlasy.htm

Book Reviews

The Taboo of Subjectivity, by B. Alan Wallace, The European Legacy, Volume 12, Number 3, May 2007, pp. 393-396.

A Biography of No Place, by Kate Brown, The European Legacy, Volume 12, Number 3, May 2007, pp. 392-393.

Theoretical Writings, by Alain Badiou, The European Legacy, Volume 11, Number 7, December 2006 , pp. 833-835.

One Thousand Years of Philosophy, by Rom Harré, The European Legacy, Volume 10, Number 1, February 2005, pp. 115-117.

The Cambridge Companion to Bertrand Russell, edited by Nicholas Griffin, The European Legacy, Volume 10, Number 1, February 2005, pp. 117-120.

Bertrand Russell on Nuclear War, Peace, and Language:  Critical and Historical Essays, edited by Alan Schwerin, The European Legacy, Volume 9, Number 6, December 2004, pp. 844-846.

A.J. Ayer:  A Life, by Ben Rogers, Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 101, 1999 Compilation Issue, pp. 25-30.

The Mathematical Philosophy of Bertrand Russell:  Origins and Development, by Francisco A. Rodriguez-Consuegra, Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 98, May, 1998, pp. 27-31. 

A Fresh Look at Empiricism 1927-1942  The Collected Papers of Bertrand Russell, Volume 10, edited by John Slater and Peter Kollner, The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 97, February, 1998, pp. 21-24.

Wittgenstein's Place in Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy, by P.M.S. Hacker, The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 96, November, 1997, pp. 19-22.

Last Philosophical Testament 1943-68  The Collected Papers of Bertrand Russell, Volume 11, edited by John Slater and Peter Kollner, The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 95, August, 1997, pp. 19-21.

Logic and Mr. Limbaugh, by Ray Perkins, Jr., Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 94, May, 1997, pp. 17-18.

From Stimulus To Science, by W.V. Quine, Free Inquiry, Vol. 17, No. 2, Spring, 1997, pp. 59-60.

Russell and the Development of Analytical Philosophy, edited by Ray Monk and Tony Palmer, The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 92, November, 1996, pp. 27-29.

Russell, by A.C. Grayling, The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 91, August, 1996, pp. 29-31.

Continuity and Change in the Development of Russell's Philosophy, by Paul Hager, The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 89, February, 1996, pp. 30-1.

Russell, by John G. Slater, The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 87, August, 1995, pp. 23-4.

Lakatos'Philosophy of Mathematics:  A Historical Approach, by Teun Koetsier, Historia Mathematica, Volume 22, May, 1995, pp. 203-6.

Video Reviews

"The Life of Bertrand Russell:  International Biography Series", Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly, No. 99, August, 1998, pp. 34-36

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