17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
Will change your view of PowerPoint forever
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...
13 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
Pretty useless
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.
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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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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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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Long before there was PowerPoint, most presentations contained more columns of numbers and bullet points than pictures. PowerPoint seemed designed to capture the essence of those transparencies and make it faster to create them . . . while adding color. Compared to those ugly transparencies, PowerPoint seemed like an improvement.
By comparison, my dentist has always covered his walls with beautiful bleed images of gorgeous places combined with intriguing sayings about life. Those posters are the only uplifting thing about my trips to the dentist's office. He doesn't tell me any entertaining stories.
In presentationzen, Garr Reynolds shares with us that today's audiences like a standard PowerPoint presentation about as much as I like going to the dentist (I doubt if you are surprised by that). His prescription is to turn the typical presentation into a series of stories aided by exhibits that remind me of those dental posters while being very responsive (present . . . in his terminology) to the audience.
The book's main strength, and one that makes it well worth reading and following, is in describing a process that can be used to create a presentation that will be compelling. Even when I see a presentation that I like, I don't learn much from the example because the presenter doesn't share the process behind the result.
The examples almost all showed someone in a black turtle neck, black pants, and black shoes who looked like a Steve Jobs acolyte. As a result, there's an Apple versus Microsoft tone to the book that didn't match any environment where I ever see or give presentations (usually board rooms and senior corporate conference rooms).
Most presentations should be much shorter, should have a lot less material, and should be much easier to grasp. This book will help you if that's the way you want to go. Beware, however, that you don't go over the edge into becoming an "artiste" in your presentations. This book will probably push you a little too far in that direction.
For those who cannot imagine how an image might fit into a presentation, this book will be a great breath of fresh air. To those who want to copy the advice closely, keep your audience in mind. You might try to take them places where they don't want to go.
In my 30-plus years of presentation experience, I find that the story is the key to success. One good story will more than carry the day. You can draw on a chalk board with your fingernails for graphics and a good story will still work just fine. To me, the weakness of this book is that it doesn't pay enough to the story telling aspect of successful presentations.
I recommend Stephen Denning's books on story telling to help you with that aspect of 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.
EDIT: I messed up and accidently gave it the full 5 star review. The editing process on Amazon does not seem to allow me to change this :(
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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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I have never left a review before but this book really helped me. I have made the odd slide before but nothing fancy. I needed to give a full presentation as part of an assignment and as part of my work role. I had created the usual text laden ppt that I had experience of seeing others present. I needed some literature to back up my decision in my assignment and found this book. In one day it transformed my whole presentation. I had lots of fun using pictures suggested from istockphoto and the critical audience that I presented to was really impressed with the slides I had produced. Yes most of what he says is common sense when you think about it - but the book is so easy to follow and you will kick yourself for not realising it all by yourself! However sometimes you need things pointed out to you simply! Its an easy read and can make a difference! I would strongly recommend this book - in fact I already have!
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This is a beautiful book which has the best of both worlds, style and substance. Each idea is followed up with clear and precise examples, full of colour and creativity. It will challenge your old mindset .The writing is melodic and flows carrying you through the book with effortless style.
However, this is not a book for lazy mind , although its packed full of inspirational ideas ,it won't do the work for you.Its not a step by step guide to making presentations .The writer clearly explains his approach is not the fastest way , but in the long term it's the most rewarding. I've tried out plenty of his ideas and he's right.
It also teaches you to work within time constraints, so its anchored in the real world. It has an elegant quality, beautifully presented. It's a visual feast for the eyes.
Interesting you find this book will bring you beyond image and design , It's unclutters your mind allowing you to simplify your thought process.The book is very accessable so its not just graphic artists and web designers who will benefit. Reynolds also uses technology sparingly, choosing pen and paper to map out his initial presentation ideas.
Overall, this is a fantastic book which should kept within arms reach. I keep dipping in and out of it, sometimes to get presentation ideas or simplify my thought process.
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I like this book but it needs the right attitude to get the best from it. Having just finished a masters degree where my thesis revolved around adults and especially children develop there cognitive and creative skills. The research really basically looked at the physiological and philosophical nuts and bolts of cognitive/creative development when we are young and then moved on to how we can use it these skills today. If there has been one thing I have learnt from 2 years pf research is the creativity is one important and can't be taught. Comments like the Luigi Clemente above which dismisses a book or an idea as being generic because there are no practical help is missing the barn door by such a margin as to be to not even to have seen the barn door in the first place. Creativity and cognitive skills can't be taught by supplying practical advice. It is something that is unique to all of us. It is our creativity that makes us who we are. Creativity here is not be defined as just drawing a picture but rather the unique connection we all make between all the various areas of our brain and how those linkages create new of different aspects, concepts and ideas. You can not achieve this through someone giving you practical advice or suggestions that luigi Clemente is complaining is an oxymoron of a complaint. This book is great but to get the best out of it has to come from you. it is meant to inspire. If we are always looking for practical advice from someone else we will never truly becreative or develop better cognitive skills
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This is a blueprint for creative, engaging, presentation design. Garr uses a Zen approach to designing simple, elegant and memorable slides that do so much more than the ubiquitous bulleted lists.
Grounded in principles of graphic design, his advice had a huge influence on my presentation style and I have consistently received positive feedback from audiences (for example, one person who attended a day's workshop that consisted of no more than 40 slides in total, said it was the best workshop she'd ever attended and held her attention throughout).
The book takes you through the whole sequence from identifying your key message, preparing to design the slides, the actual design and composition through to delivery.
Simple changes, such as removing "chart junk" (eg a fancy 3D effect with a texture fill on the bars) and just presenting a flat, clear bar chart with one bar highlighted in another colour to make a point, can make a huge difference.
More subtle changes, such as a soft shadow on text, and changing text colour from black to a dark grey, still add impact and mark out your slides from all the template followers.
This book will revolutionise your approach to presentations.
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