From a toddler's first words to professional public speaking, from a marriage proposal to a raise request, we are fundamentally verbal animals, using our voice as the instrument to express ourselves. Woods looks back on her work with Hollywood’s biggest stars, providing valuable lessons about both the art and science of speech in the process.  Woods argues that having a strong speaking voice is crucial to achieving one’s goals in every aspect of life, from relationships and family to the business arena. She explores common problems that can prevent us from most effectively getting our message across, such as vocal fry, dialect issues, shyness, and mumbling, and provides exercises to combat these issues, peppering each chapter with real-life examples and stories from decades of working with celebrities.