Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences

This is a great book for people who have to persuade an audience with their presentations. I think it really scores for those who are experienced presenters and want to raise their game, because as the author points out “Creating an interesting presentation requires a more thoughtful process than throwing together the blather we’ve come to call a presentation today.” No easy fix is promised: throughout the book, Nancy Duarte repeats the message that it takes time and planning to create and deliver a high-quality presentation. Early on, she cites a survey suggesting that as many as 86% of executives say that communication clearly impacts their careers; yet only a quarter of them put more than 2 hours into preparing for high-stakes presentations. Which may go some way to explaining why so many presentations are rubbish. Facts aren’t enough on their own: we need to appeal to hearts as well as minds, emotions as well as reason. To do this we need to weave compelling stories through our presentation. When was the last time you visualised a set of numbers showed on a slide? Now when was the last time you visualised what was going on in a story a presenter told? And which stayed in the memory – the number or the story? If you were lucky the number and story were in the same presentation, and you most likely remembered them both. Duarte walks her talk, as Resonate takes presenters through the journey of creating a compelling presentation. She provides memorable stories from her own experience and more than a dozen different high-profile case studies, some of whose presentations are analysed in great detail to see just how people from Abraham Lincoln to Steve Jobs, companies such as General Electric and Cisco Systems, deliver presentations that move people to act. There are heaps of practical tips and wise words – I particularly like Duarte’s advice for presenters to take the role of ‘mentor’ not ‘hero’ to the audience, as it “will clothe you in humility”. Guide, give advice and words of wisdom, lessons learned – and help the audience join you on a journey. Duarte’s tips to getting to know your audience are illustrated with her own rigorous research and preparation for a client, showing just how much work is needed here. This rigour is followed by ruthlessness at the editing stage when we’re told to “edit on behalf of your audience”, and when creating the presentation to “wean yourself from the slides”. Even experienced presenters will discover new tools. I liked the ‘sparkline’, which visualises the narrative ebb and flow (wonderfully illustrated by Benjamin Zander). There are story templates, tools for analysing the audience and then mapping their (not your) journey from where there are now to where they can be, frameworks for presentation structure, and another favourite of mine, the S.T.A.R. Moment (‘Something They’ll Always Remember’). This is a hefty work, yet all wonderfully brought to life with metaphor, visuals, stories, and characters from history, art, TV and movies. We get Yoda and Luke Skywalker and even the Karate Kid, along with Martin Luther King, Hitchcock, Mozart and many more. I was particularly pleased with my Kindle for iPad app edition with live links to resources and tools. It looked superb and worked beautifully – like a great presentation. Highly recommended. You can find Resonate here on Amazon [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Resonate-Present-Stories-Transform-Audiences/dp/B00C6PO61Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396924929&sr=8-2&keywords=resonate+present+visual+stories+that+transform+audiences] Nancy has also written ‘Slide:ology’ which is now on my wish-list

Being a teacher and entrepreneur my expectations were low, how a single book can teach how to prepare presentations to very many different scenarios? Talking to one group of people is not the same as talking to another. Even talking to the same people under different circumcisions is different, let alone talking about different subjects and issues. Therefore, when i started the reading i was somewhat skeptic. I wondered, how one could guide me to write/prepared such large variety of presentations. The book does not supply a formula, there is no magic, and still it exceeded all my expectations. The answer lies in getting to the fundamentals and having good understanding of the thinking and pursuing processes. Once the reader understands these processes, he can implement them in his presentation. The book does it very well, step by step and with case studies. The book is highly recommended for people who are not afraid to learn and practice.

The key purpose for a book like this is to get you thinking and experimenting with new techniques. Utilising numerous case studies the book gently weans one off the powerpoint slide teat and refocuses on the message. I picked up the book and within twenty minutes was rethinking a large presentation that I was about to give. The format, illustrations and typesetting of the book were also excellent. My one annoyance with the book is that it focuses its case studies on individuals with innately interesting messages like political struggle, world changing products or catastrophic events. What about the hapless fools like me who have to recycle and present bone dry corporate messages? :)

I have been presenting professionally for about 20 years and have finally begun to learn the art the hard way. I've also read many books on the subject, with a few exceptions most are rather trite and obvious.This book, though, is the real deal. The author has clearly thought very deeply about the subject and, for me, what she says rings pretty much 100% true. Its one of those books that you could not easily read from cover to cover, there is little padding and so much content that it is a good idea to read one section or chapter and internalise it over days or weeks before moving on. Its not a beginners guide though. I only write this review because I genuinely feel this is a praiseworthy book. charlie b UK

Daughter loved the gift

Inspirational book about presentations. It is not a template approach for how to put together an excellent presentation but rather serves as a launch pad for ideas. Important lessons include thoughts on contrast, audience, repeatable sound bites, the power of rehearsal and Murder Your Darlings. I really like the design of this book which makes it a pleasure to read. Nice shape. Nice pictures. Inspiring examples include Benjamin Zander, Steve Jobs, Ronald Reagan, Markus Covert, Leonard Bernstein, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Luther King etc. A collection of thoughts packed with useful insights, tips and visuals. It enhances awareness rather than improves skils. For that Duarte should have created an integrated approach such as Barbara Minto's Pyramid Principle. A good book but not an essential guide on presentations. 7 out of 10 for me.

This book is about communication and presentation. In that way it walks the talk! It presents the information in an easy to digest way, and show clearly how to present a message to an audience. Knowing your audience, working out your segments, speaking clearly and using interactive communications skills were all aspects of this book that I appreciated.

Fantastic book, easy read and lots of insight.

Livre de référence pour créer de bien meilleures présentations. Offre de nombreuses idées pour rendre les 'slides' plus efficaces pour soutenir une présentation orale, moins utile si la présentation a pour objectif d'être autoporteur.

This was the second book by Nancy on this subject, but in a way it really should have been the first in the series. Both are highly recommended. In fact, I've read and shared them with many. I consider it a small contribution to help spread the word and save us all from bad presentation skills. If you speak and present, invest in this book. Yes, invest - it will pay itself back in spades!

El mejor libro que he leído acerca de mensajes para presentaciones, diseño de diapositivas y entendimiento del orden y estructura de estas.

Als Experte für spannendes präsentieren und wirkungsvolle Auftritte empfehle ich dieses Buch gerne. Nach slide:ology (Folien-Design usw.) hat Nancy Duarte sich mehr dem Thema des Aufbaus einer Präsentation gewidmet. Ein nicht nur ansprechend und schön gemachtes Buch, sondern auch eines, das unter den verschiedensten Blickwinkeln das Thema betrachtet. Die Texte sind kurz und somit schnell zu lesen. Ein amerikanisches Buch wie es in Deutschland (leider) selten gibt. Für mich ist es eines der besten Bücher, wie aus einer strukturierten aber langweiligen Präsentation ein Stück überzeugenden Entertainments wird, das nicht 'Show' ist, sondern wirklich ein das Publikum erreichendes und inspirierendes Werk wird. Eben das, was eine wirklich besondere Präsentation (oder Vortrag) ausmacht. Davon können sich Präsentatoren eine Menge abschauen! Nancy Duarte führt die bedeutendste Agentur für die Erstellung von Präsentationen und ein Team von rund 60 Mitarbeitern. Diese Erfahrung fliesst hier ein. Zu Ihren Kunden gehören Al Gore und Bill Gates und viele andere Größen des Silicon Valley. Im Gegensatz zu Garr Reynolds (Presentation Zen) und Carmine Gallo (The Presenting Secrets of Steven Jobs) gibt Sie selbst meines Wissens nach keine größeren Vorträge. Doch die Erfahrung Ihrer Kunden fliesst in das Buch ein. Ihre Recherchen und Analysen sind einzigartig in der Kombination aus Tiefe und Darstellung.

One of teh most interesting books I read on this topic