Book Review: Presentation Zen
I find that I have fallen criminally behind on reviewing books in the past six or so months and I’m going to try to make an effort to post on at least some of what I have been reading. Time to begin:
Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter)
Garr Reynolds has done more than write a book about design; he has taken Zen principles and used them to design the book that he wrote. Zen Presentation is an aesthetic pleasure to read, a truly beautiful book where the author walked his talk.
Specifically, Reynolds will show you how you can make your slideware presentations better but Presentation Zen is really more than that; it’s about effective communication. Understanding your own message and then crafting an authentic and persuasive vision. The principles Reynolds articulates while discussing sound design work equally well for the writer, the artist, the salesman or the organizational leader. Here are a few sections particularly worth your time to read:
What makes Messages Stick?
The Art of Working With Restrictions ( all the Boydians out there will grasp this concept immediately)
Two Questions: What’s your Point? Why Does it Matter ?
Kanso, Shizen, Shibumi
Signal to Noise Ratio
The Need for Solitude
Many times, as the text itself is intentionally broken up visually by images and white space, I found myself reflecting at length on the implications of the passage before moving on to the next. Now that’s something that happens with reading certain classics – The Art of War
If messages are meant to “stick” then Presentation Zen is a sticky book.
August 21st, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Thanks for the recommendation – just bought the book. Looks great. I’m looking forward to convincing my PR firm about it.
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:20 am
Hi James,
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You’re welcome! I originally found Presentation Zen through Dave Davison’s Thought’s Illustrated blog. Dave posts infrequently, but he has a lot of good things in this vein.