There are frequent conversations about how communication has changed with the adoption of the Internet and more specifically social media. We have published several posts on our blog on topics related to these changes including Mastering the Nine Second Sound Bite and Staying Ahead of the New-Media Curve. And while it is true the landscape has changed, communicators can still gather valuable lessons from the past – prior to the digital revolution.
It is fascinating to look back at the communications that spurred broad and significant changes. Last month, in conjunction with the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a new book from speech writer, Clarence Jones, we were reminded of how galvanizing King’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech was for the civil rights movement. In celebration of its 50th anniversary, media also recently revisited John F. Kennedy’s momentous state of the union speech from 1961, which inspired many of that generation to consider public service.
While these were momentous speeches in the more recent history of the United States, now one can easily access and read more historical speeches and letters from all of the past U.S. presidents and learn from these seasoned communicators. One of our clients, Bookbyte, recently published a digital collection of speeches and letters from U.S. presidents.
This new eBook, Words of the Presidents: Speeches and Letters from 1776 to 2011, captures the most important, powerful and fascinating statements from the pens and podiums of the United States presidents since the country was first founded. From the unforgettable to the obscure, Words of the Presidents reflects on the historically and socially significant moments in American history including Gettysburg and Berlin to the Monroe Doctrine and the military-industrial complex.
As a dynamic collection of works, new content will be added to future editions of Words of the Presidents, which will be available as free updates to readers who have previously downloaded the eBook. The eBook is now available via Apple’s iBooks, Amazon’s Kindle Store and Barnes and Noble’s Nook Store for $1.99. Although it will be available for free during President’s Day weekend, Fri., Feb. 18 through Mon., Feb. 21, 2011, via iBooks.
With the upcoming President’s Day weekend, Words of the Presidents is a great example of fusing the past with the future. Our reading and communication behaviors may have evolved with technology; however, there are still important lessons that can be found in our history.