Book Review: Simply Said

I recently listened (via Audible) to Simply Said: Communicating Better at Work and Beyond by Jay Sullivan. I was going to read it, but I figured, given the topic of the book, it would be good to hear the author read through it. (I prefer books where the author reads it, not a hired voice actor).

Content

I was surprised by the content. I really expected it to be a book that predominantly covered topics on speaking clearly and well, but it tackles far more than that. It’s about many different forms of communication.

It did have the type fo content I was imagining, but it also covered aspects like leadership, reputation building, listening skills, and even written communication. There was even content on influencing and inspiring others.

The content seems to be a distillation of what Jay has learned over decades, and does focus quite a bit on the ExecComm philosophy.

Thoughts on the book

I can’t say I agreed with everything Jay said, and that’s perhaps because I find technical presentations have particular challenges, yet that’s where I spend most of my time.

The book is important because the days of being a professional but not being an effective communicator are long gone. It covers many skills that I wish I had heard presented so clearly many decades ago. They would have helped me.

The production quality of the book is great. Jay speaks very clearly and does communicate effectively, just as you’d hope.

Summary

Overall, I enjoyed listening to this book, and I did find it interesting. The content is covered well and it’s about the right length. I liked the way that it delivered simple and clear messages, just as you’d expect from the author. Great work Ricky, Jason, and Yuri !

8 out of 10

2025-11-24