As you know, we sometimes frequent other reviewers when it is about an exceptional book and has a lot to say. I’m fortunate in knowing Jean Moroney personally and asked if we could share one of her latest book recommendations featured in “THE THINKING DIRECTIONS OCCASIONAL UPDATE #32.”
Many books offer great advice. Some are so powerful they change
your mind on issues you consider settled. Very few are so clear you
can learn something about thinking just by reading them. *TJ
Walker’s Secret to Foolproof Presentations* is all three.
At first glance, this book appears to be a compendium of answers to
frequently-asked questions (FAQ’s) about public speaking. The
chapters have titles such as “How can I get over stage fright or
nervousness?” and “What do I do if I make a mistake or forget what
I am about to say?” Each chapter answers the title’s question in a
clear, direct way.
But that’s where the similarity to a typical FAQ ends.
Though the questions come from different perspectives, the answers
all come from TJ Walker’s. He’s a man on a mission to persuade
his readers of one thing: “Don’t focus on making a bad impression.
Spend your time figuring out how to leave a lasting positive
impression.” He hits this point in some form in every chapter–
without ever being redundant.
In fact, the book as a whole is a deft dramatization of how to
respond to the issues of immediate concern to your audience, while
still getting *your* message across in a compelling way.
There is something fresh in every chapter. In some cases the advice
is familiar (analyze video of yourself) but the argument is strikingly
blunt: “Is it painful to watch yourself? Yes. But this is less painful
than wasting the time of people you are speaking to because you
were boring or hard to follow.”
In other cases the advice is surprising. For example, Walker tells
you to put no words–zero words–on the Powerpoint slides you
show to the audience. But make a second set of slides with bullet
points, and give that to them afterwards for reference.
I particularly appreciated how Walker made every suggestion easy
to implement. His simple advice for how to find appropriate stories
and humor was eye-opening and empowering.
Even if you have no particular interest in improving your
communication skills, I recommend you read this book. Because if
you’re interested in thinking skills (as I presume those on this list
are), you’re interested in clarity. And for sheer clarity, this book is
remarkable. It vividly demonstrates how to use words to make your
ideas unmistakably clear and compelling.
Whatever your reason for reading it, don’t be surprised if TJ
Walker inspires you to improve your presentation skills. Before I
read this book, I felt pretty satisfied with my own presentations. I
opened up the book hoping to pick up a few extra tips. By the time
I finished it (less than 24 hours later), I was filled with insights and
inspiration, and passionately committed to taking my presentations
to the next level.
Highly recommended.
* * *
We hope you enjoyed this review and look forward to your comments.
International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association
Books By Hills Success Log Global Log
Finalist in the Writing and Publishing category of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards,
“$uccess, Your Path to a Successful Book.”
