Book Review: Presentation Zen

Have you ever read a book where the content is so appealing, applicable, and soothing that you wish it would never end?

“Presentation Zen” is one of those books. This book is filled from cover to cover with amazing examples, techniques, and images that inspire and encourage excellence in presentation. The layout adheres to the principles of simplicity and elegance taught in the book. The author, Garr Reynolds, is generous and knowledgeable in his narrative.

The book consists of five sections:

• Introduction - This section starts with one of my favorite quotes: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” (Leonardo Da Vinci). This sets the tone for the rest of the book.
• Preparation - Get away from the computer and think about the central point. My favorite suggestion from this section is…

 ”As you prepare a presentation, exercise restraint and keep these three words in mind always: simplicity, clarity, brevity.”

• Design - Here the author reminds us of the design principles often associated with Zen: Simplicity, Naturalness, and Elegance. You can’t really go wrong if you keep these in mind.
• Delivery - Having an awesome deck of slides is all well and good, but the delivery of the presentation is just as important. The key here is being completely present and in tune with your audience.
• Next Steps - Practice makes perfect!

The best part of this book is that the author does not hold back on sharing the wealth. After reading some books, I feel like “yeah, that sounds good in theory, but it didn’t give me the tools I need to make it happen.” “Presentation Zen” provides all the tools you need, including confidence. In fact, it even includes a promotional offer for iStockPhoto to get you started with getting high quality images for your next presentation. After reading this book, I totally get Seth Godin’s tongue-in-cheek comment in his endorsement:

“Please don’t buy this book! Once people start making better presentations, mine won’t look so good.”

I am actually excited about starting on my next presentation for an upcoming product roadshow. I can’t wait to deliver an amazing presentation!