Anonymous
Posted February 28, 2008
This book is a MUST read for ANYONE who presents ANYTHING!!!!! It reads easy and fast. Garr is very clear and understandable in his writing. This book changed the way I I conduct my presentations and create my slides before I even hit page 100!! Great book!!! I cant say it enough. I do business presentations and also use presentations during training sessions. I spend a lot of time on them both in front of the computer and behind the podium, This book has made both of those place much more enjoyable!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.DaisyKindle
Posted April 20, 2009
Really enjoyed the book. They took Power Point presentations to a new level! Great ideas! Wonderful examples!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 2, 2012
I'm in an organization that uses Powerpoint for almost every meeting, briefing, etc., and the structure and format of every single presentation is the same! This book puts a new approach to using Powerpoint (and similar programs) into easily understood language. While some of the presentations I have to do for work must continue to follow the organizational formatting, the others I do will be different, and better (I hope!). A must read, especially for those in positions of leadership.
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Posted May 8, 2011
Concepts and best practices easy to understand and use. Can't wait to put it to use!
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Posted February 20, 2010
Having just started my own business, I wanted to really improve my presentation material. This book realy got me thinking about the possibilities, the do's and the don'ts. As a result of this, I have improved my PPT presentation 100%...it now is enjoyable to watch and flows much better. If you do presentations, this is a must read...
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Posted November 15, 2009
Very practical, Excellent book for giving effective & powerful presentation.
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Posted November 10, 2009
What a beautiful book! Everything about the thought process behind it to the weight of the paper and imagery inside are quality. The information is helpful, especially for those of us trying to move away from the corporate eye-chart decks into more creative fields and more meaningful presentations. The author's "aha moment" on the high speed train about the beautiful simplicity of his bento box and how he used this as his inspiration continues to inspire me. Everyone I mention the book to loves it as well.
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Posted July 4, 2009
My goodness, this should be required reading for everyone that plans to give, or has given a PowerPoint presentation. Please, please read and apply what is learned. Applying what this author has to say will keep so many of us from sleeping through endless frames of poorly crafted presentations. Required reading for presenters!
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Posted October 6, 2008
Garr Reynolds has succinctly grasped a pernicious nettle and dislodged a few hoary myths about effective communication in his new book presentationzen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery. Realising '... that something needed to be done to end the scourge of bad PowerPoint slides and the lifeless narration that accompanies them.' 'p. 6', he sets out to illustrate a simpler and more effective approach to communication through presentations. Mindful that the ubiquitous PowerPoint presentation is not always the appropriate adjunct to effective communication, the book is nevertheless about presentations where multimedia is a good fit with what, how and to whom you are communicating. Long-time Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki has provided a characteristically pithy foreword to the book and Reynolds himself once worked as the Manager for Worldwide User Group Relations at Apple, Inc. Keep in mind that the whole thing is about communication: what you need to do and, perhaps more importantly, not do, to make communication effective. The ten chapters are logically grouped into five areas - introduction, preparation, design, delivery and the next step. Depending on your philosophical leanings, don't get too caught up or distracted by the 'Zen' context in which he sets out his ideas - look instead at the key ideas themselves. In the context of planning a presentation I liked his idea of what he called 'going analog' 'p. 45'. Get away from your computer to think about the bigger context in which your presentation is to be made, to identify your key messages and generally tease out your ideas. One of his key points with which I heartily agree is the need to avoid inadvertently becoming a slave to the software you are using 'especially PowerPoint' with its own inherent structural and process constraints. In discussing at length presentation design 'comprising some 20% of the book', Reynolds provides an extensive set of before/after examples to illustrate the key points about the use of text, images, graphics, the interaction between text and images, use of white space, balance, grids and the rule of thirds. The latter will be familiar to readers who are photographers. A particularly helpful feature comprising Chapter 7: Sample Slides, are examples used by real world presenters , including links to relevant websites. A couple at which I have had a quick look were very worthwhile. The only downside I struck occurred in the delivery phase of the book where I thought the extensive Zen references and context tended to dominate the key messages he was trying to get across. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has to present something to an audience. It is peppered with pertinent interesting examples throughout Reynolds practices what he preaches. Masterfully he offers a series of guidelines rather than prescriptions for success. Other important pluses are a useful comprehensive index and a helpful summary at the end of each chapter. Excellent accompanying photos and graphics are included and the layout and typography is very clean. The effectiveness of his use of Zen concepts throughout the book will depend a lot on the reader's philosophical bent it worked for me, but others may find it less appealing. I can't do better than reiterate Reynolds' own advice - enjoy the journey! Reviewed by Greg Davies The Apple Users' Society of Melbourne 'AUSOM'
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More About This Textbook
Overview
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.
Editorial Reviews
From Barnes & Noble
Why couldn't business and technical presentations benefit from the ethos of Zen: its mindfulness, elegance, beauty, simplicity, restraint, naturalness, and balance? They could. Mightily. Presentation Zen is about making that happen -- and, in so doing, communicating with unprecedented clarity, passion, and effectiveness.What is Presentation Zen? Not a step-by-step cookbook but an approach that starts with rediscovering your creativity and learning how to apply it, even in the most prosaic environment. Reynolds helps you ask the right questions, rough out your ideas by hand, and craft a story with authenticity that can't help but compel your audience. Then: storyboarding, design, delivery. Every image, every word needs to matter: nothing wasted, nothing there merely for "decoration" or to fill out a set of dreaded bullet points. Reynolds shows how to do all that and offers some very inspiring examples. You'll never present the same way again -- thank goodness. Bill Camarda, from the January 2008 Read Only
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