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Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter) (Paperback)
by Garr Reynolds (Author)
Textbook Details
* Paperback: 240 pages
* Publisher: New Riders Press; 1 edition (January 4, 2008)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0321525655
* ISBN-13: 978-0321525659
* Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
* Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
* Rating: 
Textbook Description
Presentation designer and internationally acclaimed communications expert Garr Reynolds, creator of the most popular Web site on presentation design and delivery on the net – presentationzen.com — shares his experience in a provocative mix of illumination, inspiration, education, and guidance that will change the way you think about making presentations with PowerPoint or Keynote. Presentation Zen challenges the conventional wisdom of making “slide presentations” in today’s world and encourages you to think differently and more creatively about the preparation, design, and delivery of your presentations. Garr shares lessons and perspectives that draw upon practical advice from the fields of communication and business. Combining solid principles of design with the tenets of Zen simplicity, this book will help you along the path to simpler, more effective presentations.
Presentation Zen Review
Garr Reynolds new book Presentation Zen is a mastery of style and substance. Reynolds cuts through a lot of the silly noise about PowerPoint and gets right to how it can be used effectively, memorably and beautifully. Plus, Reynolds puts his own ego aside and puts a strong spotlight on other speaking masters like Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki. If you’ve been putting off creating your next PowerPoint presentation, then put if off one more day and run to your nearest bookstore and buy Presentation Zen.
The book is its own best review. It is engaging, persuasive and memorable practicing what it preaches and giving a good presentation. The advice is a bit esoteric if you are looking for liniar, rational, step-by-step methodology and is obviously based much more on intuitive thought and art, but this is exactly what the author promised. The book does have sufficient building blocks and practical instructions to get started in the presentation process, but goes far beyond that in scope. The author does seem to capture the true intent of a presentation as being an opportunity to influence and persuade an audience rather than death by power point with data saturated slides. This is not a hold your hand, step-by-step guide to great presentaions. You can not be led to that level of performance. This book however does clearly point the way and encourage you to walk the path to giving great presentaions, but the reader still needs to do the walking.
I have been reading Garr’s blog for about a year and was delighted when he announced that he was writing Presentation Zen. When the book arrived, I determined to read it slowly, soak up the ideas, and savor having all that information at my fingertips. (I love the web, but I love my books, too.) Garr has taken when he knows and presented it in a logical format, on pages that practice what he preaches, while providing solid chunks of useful information for anyone who makes presentations. And that’s the heart of this book – it is for anyone who wants to better their presentation style. I am a teacher and make much use of an interactive white board. Teachers are, by nature, presenters. This book is as much for us as it is for those who make a living as professional speakers and slide makers. Teachers use bulletin boards, interactive white boards, and handouts, as well as slide shows and other media, all as a means of informing and presenting. We aim to reach a diverse set of learners. Heavens only knows there are a lot of us who could benefit by improving our presentation and slide/handout skills so that our students are not lost in a maze of jibberish on the page, screen or in what we say. I intend to incorporate many of Garr’s suggestions as I teach faculty how to use interactive white boards, because it isn’t just the content, it’s also very much how the content is presented that impacts our students.
This book is very good on the philosophy behind “designing” presentations. On how to use visuals and how to make your presentation into an engaging story. Unfortunately the book focuses too much on visuals and on (a bit superficial) presentation and design philosophy. Also the author contradicts himself with the last chapters in the book which are completely unneccessary. While in the first half of the book he argues convincingly for less is more. A bit more facts and figures or bulletpoints might help this book. But maybe those are in the handout? I recommend this book for those who are first time presenters or when looking for new twists. But it might be a bit lightweight for people who have to give “deep” presentations.
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Presentation Zen (Kindle Edition)
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