A good introduction to improving your presentations.
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For those that are unfamiliar with Garr Reynolds' Presentation Zen blog, and even for those that do, but want to know what sets presenters like Steve Jobs, Guy Kawasaki and Seth Godin apart from the rest, it serves as a great starting point. Presentation Zen is neither about possesing high technical or creative skills, but just about conveying ideas in a simple and easy to digest format. By moving away from information filled slides to ones that support your underlying message, you can lead your viewers to a higher state of understanding.
I didn't give this book a full 5-stars as I personally felt a lot of the imagery used was a bit cliched and didn't really "stimulate" me in the way I thought was intended but there are a lot of example slides which are great and show you exactly in which direction you need to be going. It is very focused on the actual "slideshow" part of presenting and doesn't really go into the art of actually communicating your ideas regardless of your slides and visuals. For the actually communication of ideas and information I highly recommend Dan Roam's "Back of the Napkin" as a companion book to this.
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Antidote to 'Death by PowerPoint'
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Garr Reynolds' work has been known to me for sometime through his blog, Presentation Zen. I've appreciated what he shared on the design and delivery of simple but powerful presentations. Since I started reading his blog, I have come to realise he has influenced my approach to designing slides. When I read that he was publishing a book, I pre-ordered Presentation Zen with some anticipation.
I was not disappointed. From the Foreword by Guy Kawasaki (done in slides) through to the 'Colophon' at the very end of the book (explaining technically how the book was put together), I found the content stimulating and the mere look of the book a delight.
'Presentation is everything,' they say. Well, not quite. There are some important observations on conventional business practice, about how it uses and abuses PowerPoint or Keynote, and about typical presentations in general. For example, the author comments on the convention by conference organisers, who ask for a speaker's slides in advance - the assumption being that all content is, or should be, in those slides. Or how about the practice common in Japan and elsewhere where lights are dimmed at the start of a presentation? If you have always assumed that such things were good practice then I recommend this book.
Also, I was delighted about how Garr Reynolds referenced people whom I admire: Daniel Pink, Seth Godin, Kathy Sierra, Dan and Chip Heath, Guy Kawasaki, Merlin Mann and Nancy Duarte. This gave me the confidence that here was someone who has 'got it', as a progressive thinker and presenter.
This book is a healthy antidote to 'Death by PowerPoint', and I shall continue to read Garr's blog with interest.
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A must read and look at
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Followers of the presentation zen blog will know that garth has a wealth of insights to share. What he shows in this book may not be the bullet point list of 'what to do to make good slides' that some may be after but his message is much more important than that. What presentation zen does is ask you to question your story and why it must be told. Once you have an answer then presentation zen will help you tell it. If you want a step by step this is how you make presentation book this is not it but if you truly want to make an impact then this is the book for you. The before and after slides are telling and the writing is a must. Anyone who has read anything by dan pink or guy kawasaki will find much to like here and will learn how to move from concept to practical application.
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Pretty useless
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Don't waste your time with these kind of books: pretty meaningless pictures, generic content about the importance of being creative (like: yes, you are creative too!) and of semplicity, "new age" discussions (mixing Judo with product delivery). Not even one practical advice or suggestion. Leave it.
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Will change your view of PowerPoint forever
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I've followed Garr Reynolds blog at PresentationZen for ages now as a source of inspiration and ideas for using slideware. This book is a brilliant summary of all that advice and more. Garr sets out the argument for using PowerPoint and Keynote as visual support tools to the main event (that's you). So far, so good but what really makes this a must buy is that the book is stuffed with concrete practical examples of how to do it. Even better, all the slides and images he uses are referenced so that you can find them online and use them yourself - there is even an offer from iStockphoto of some free images. All in all, a brilliant counterpoint to all the traditional "how to use PowerPoint" books that are out there.
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