With more than 2,000 timeless quotes by women, representing everyone from Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (1542-1587) to pop megastar Madonna, The Last Word is a must-have for any woman looking for inspiration, kinship and a way to meaningfully connect with audiences of one to one million. However, to simply call it a compendium of quotes is a misnomer.

Carolyn Warner’s book is a valuable resource to anyone seeking to be heard. Whether a novice or seasoned public speaker desiring to enrich a presentation, or a person seeking to be understood and acknowledged by colleagues and authority figures, readers of The Last Word will find the tools they need to achieve success—and then some. As Warner would say, her book helps women find the right words for the right time, as well as the right time for the right words.

In addition to entries sorted under 40 topics ranging from attitude, humor and leadership to politics, vision and work, and a biographical index of the women quoted, Warner offers invaluable speaking tips about establishing a common bond, evoking emotion and action, interjecting humor, reinforcing salient points, validating audiences, discovering your own style, exuding confidence and much more. She shares her hard-earned wisdom, garnered from giving thousands of speeches and presentations—nationally and internationally—to private, government and Fortune 500 companies. While 52 percent of America is female, that ratio has not been demonstrated in most quotation books, which predominantly quote men. The Last Word gives women the voice they deserve. But even more than that, it gives public speaking a soul by teaching readers how to elevate, empower and motivate their audiences by connecting to their psyches, as well as cautioning them to responsibly and compassionately use the power of the spoken word. The updated 2015 publication of The Last Word represents the third incarnation of the book. It was originally printed in 1992 by Prentice Hall and has sold more than 110,000 copies. (Carolyn Warner)