The Bible of Effective Presentations
This is the best book I've ever read on how to design effective presentations. It is sound, clear, and funny. A must-read!
Where research and practice meet
Finally!, a book that engages visual communication practice with cognitive
neuroscience and psychology research. Too often these areas live separately
and as a graphic designer professor, I find the Kosslyn's content invaluable.
As producers of visual communication, students should know what is going
on in the mind of their users. I plan on adding Clear and to the Point to my
course reading list.
Eight principles lost in a forest of recommendations
The idea seems good -- eight principles for compelling PowerPoint presentations. But the execution is neither clear nor to the point. For example, chapter 2, the first chapter of substance, lists eight recommendations for overall structure, five recomendations for building the introduction, ten recommendations for the body of the presentation, three recommendations for the wrap-up, and five recommendations for delivery (that's 31 recommendations in all), before returning to the eight psychological principles. And that, as I said, is only chapter 2. Other chapters are similarly ungainly.
In addition, as other reviewers point out, many of the suggestions are barely worth the paper they're printed on. For example, "start with a bang" or "face the audience."
In short, this is a book that will overwhelm novice presenters and bore experienced ones. Find another.
Great Thoughts
Having studied Psychology in College it was refreshing to see Psychological principles applied to PowerPoint.
I believe we do have to consider psychology when making presentations that connect. Kosslyn goes along way to reaching that goal. A lot of the ideas I have heard at other places and seminars. It was nice to see them all listed in one source.
great book
This is a great book. I really liked the psicological approach and the appendix where the author goes with more detailed scientific description of how psicology interacts with communications and powerpoint.
(11 reviews)
