I discovered Lee’s book on Audible when I was frantically searching for a resource on how to deal with my stuttering. I’m 28, have been stuttering since at least the beginning of grade school, and am what most would consider a “mild” stutterer. I don’t appear to be a severe stutterer because over the years I had found many ways to hide my stuttering from others — avoiding situations, substituting words, and appearing shy/quiet when I really wanted to speak. From the beginning of Lee’s book where he recalls a painfully embarrassing stuttering event from early in his career, it became apparent that he knew what he was talking about. It was refreshing to hear someone accurately recall all of the feelings I’d experienced when dreading a speaking situation. Unlike the speech therapists with whom I’d worked my entire life (from early childhood on up to adulthood), there was finally a STUTTERER who could empathize with me through their own similar experiences.
I read Lee’s book and chatted with him on Skype (he really does this, free of charge, as other reviewers have mentioned) and after getting to know me, he became somewhat of a coach. I’d practice his techniques, practice reading aloud, and began mindfulness exercises (which Lee refers to as auto-suggestions/self-hyponsis). I found that the latter not only helped my stuttering but had a noticeable improvement on my overall mood.
Lee also encouraged me to smile as I talked. This was something so simple that had such a big impact. I’m naturally a cheerful and positive guy — and most of my friends/family come to know me as such — but I noticed when I was struggling with stuttering, I wouldn’t exhibit my positive demeanor. Lee suggested that I really let my personality shine through and enjoy speaking. That helped a lot.
You may be skeptical, but I encourage you to read Lee’s book. His experience as a stutterer gives him a keen understanding into the psyche of the stuttering mind. His methods are clear and free of difficult to understand jargon. They have worked for him and seem to have helped many others as well. I can appreciate his selflessness in giving of his time and energy to help others who stutter to gain confidence and develop a mental fortitude to preserve and conquer their fears.