A Must-Read for Educators: Book Review

This is a quick review of a book published in 2011; however, I read it only last year. It was one of the recommendations in one of the Provincial Instructor Courses, and it completely changed my approach to creating presentations.

In his book Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (2011), Garr Reynolds explores the latest presentation tools and shares strategies for designing impactful slides. He combines design principles with Zen simplicity to help you create clear, compelling presentations that inspire and connect with your audience.

The most significant insights I got from the book are:

1. "Zen" is in the title, not just by occasion. The "Zen" approach, with its minimalism, simplicity, and focus on the most meaningful points of the presentation, is considered the key success factor when crafting the presentation. Following this simple test ("Is it Zen enough?" - I ask myself every time now while making a presentation) helps to omit all the unnecessary content and visuals and reach the best result possible to improve learners' experience.  

2. Reynolds offers one more important "test." It is advised to be used at the beginning of the design process. Ask yourself two simple questions: "What's your point?" and "Why does it matter?" Addressing these questions when introducing new concepts helps ensure the presentation's message resonates and meets the audience's needs.

   
   

There are more valuable tips and tricks to enhance the presentation and delivery process. I also liked the suggestion to move around with a remote rather than stand near the board during the delivery and want to explore it more.

So, the verdict is - a must-have, must-read, and must-used in instructional practice. For those who have doubts, here's a detailed 1-hour video from Reynolds himself with more key points from his fantastic book:

References Reynolds, G. (2011). Presentation Zen: Simple ideas on presentation design and delivery. New Riders.

Talks at Google. (2008, March 28). Presentation Zen | Garr Reynolds | Talks at Google [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ2vtQCESpk