Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
34th out of 38 books
—
23 voters
Blah Blah Blah: What To Do When Words Don't Work
by
Dan Roam
Ever been to so many meetings that you couldn't get your work done? Ever fallen asleep during a bulletpoint presentation? Ever watched the news and ended up knowing less? Welcome to the land of Blah Blah Blah.
The Problem: We talk so much that we don't think very well. Powerful as words are, we fool ourselves when we think our words alone can detect, describe, and defuse th...more
The Problem: We talk so much that we don't think very well. Powerful as words are, we fool ourselves when we think our words alone can detect, describe, and defuse th...more
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published
November 1st 2011
by Portfolio Hardcover
(first published January 1st 2011)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
717)
This book actually delivers on the title promise. Dan Roam provides an application-oriented structure to turn weakly-presented ideas into really elegant communication tools.
If you've read the Back of the Napkin or Beyond the Back of the Napkin, then you'll recognize his engaging style that mixes text with oddly compelling simple drawings. In Blah Blah Blah, he extends his earlier work and reinforces the same basic message: words go better with pictures.
I am a fan, and I really liked the overall...more
If you've read the Back of the Napkin or Beyond the Back of the Napkin, then you'll recognize his engaging style that mixes text with oddly compelling simple drawings. In Blah Blah Blah, he extends his earlier work and reinforces the same basic message: words go better with pictures.
I am a fan, and I really liked the overall...more
A book about how to pair words with pictures to effectively relay information to others.
Side note: I found this one to be much better than The Back of the Napkin by the same author.
Favorite Parts/Quotes
"When we say a word, we should draw a picture and vice versa."
The story of Dr. Seuss on page 19.
The six different types of pictures for verbal grammar:
If you hear a name, draw a portrait.
If you hear a number, draw a chart.
If you hear a list of objects, draw a map.
If you hear a history, draw a...more
Side note: I found this one to be much better than The Back of the Napkin by the same author.
Favorite Parts/Quotes
"When we say a word, we should draw a picture and vice versa."
The story of Dr. Seuss on page 19.
The six different types of pictures for verbal grammar:
If you hear a name, draw a portrait.
If you hear a number, draw a chart.
If you hear a list of objects, draw a map.
If you hear a history, draw a...more
The author makes a case for communicating with pictures and words instead of just words. We start by figuring out why 99% of meetings and speeches make our eyes glaze (they are boring -> you have no idea what's being said -> the speaker is actively trying to deceive you). The rest of the book tells you how to present your ideas or understand other people's ideas better via visualization (draw portraits, charts, timelines, flowcharts, etc) and clarification.
The book was short, clear, and e...more
The book was short, clear, and e...more
It was 2007 in a conference room in Paris when one of the great product minds in payment, Stephane Jacquis, uttered “blah blah blah” in reference to some fluffy, irrelevant details being talked about. I loved the expression, the sheer audacity and “cut to the chase” of it, and I’ve used the phrase ever since.
Then the absolute best author in visual communication releases his new job entitled “Blah Blah Blah”. His “Back of the Napkin” completely and positively changed how I communicate – I had ver...more
Then the absolute best author in visual communication releases his new job entitled “Blah Blah Blah”. His “Back of the Napkin” completely and positively changed how I communicate – I had ver...more
Dan Roam's Blah Blah Blah: what to Do When Words Don't Work is a clear, practical guide to visual thinking. Roam moves the focus of visual thinking away from creativity and places it firmly on clear thinking and communication. He provides a context for why the visual is so powerful -- it accounts for most of our brain's processing! -- and then goes on to provide an approach to communicating visually that's tied closely to our verbal processing, with a grammar and structure all its own. And he d...more
Electronic Copy provided by NetGalley
I thoroughly enjoyed Dan’s first book “On the back of the napkin” and loved the way he presented his ideas and his information. So I was excited to get a chance to read this new book of his that deals with speaking and presenting ideas better, and killing the blahs--complexity, boredom, and misunderstanding. Dan gives us his theory of “Vivid Thinking” which combines the right and left side of the brain so that we can think and learn more quickly. In short, he...more
I thoroughly enjoyed Dan’s first book “On the back of the napkin” and loved the way he presented his ideas and his information. So I was excited to get a chance to read this new book of his that deals with speaking and presenting ideas better, and killing the blahs--complexity, boredom, and misunderstanding. Dan gives us his theory of “Vivid Thinking” which combines the right and left side of the brain so that we can think and learn more quickly. In short, he...more
I loved The ,i>Back of the Napkin. This book takes those concepts further in a good direction. Rather than focusing on solving problems with pictures, he's tried to create a whole philosophy of thought based on using words AND pictures. I think these concepts should be considered more in the realm of education, as there are clearly opportunities to provide children with these kinds of visual thinking skills during their formative years. On the other hand, many parts of this book lacked substa...more
I purchased this book yesterday on my kindle. I was searching for a way to simplify complex ideas and make them understandable and memorable. I work in a very technical environment and have many things to read and understand, and it's a bit overwhelming. Let me say that this book was exactly what I was searching for. It's very easy to read, and describes a very exciting method for understanding and communicating information so that everyone gets it. I finished this book in less than a day, I was...more
Excellent re-conceptualization of his first book "Back of the Napkin". Roam simplifies the concepts presented in that book while adding back in "the other half" of the tools used to present information -- words. While I found "Napkin" valuable in work I was doing as I read it, I feel this book provides a more basic and more usable and memorable way to embed these concepts (showing and telling) into my presentations.
In the writing of this book Roam included many simple drawings to help illustrat...more
In the writing of this book Roam included many simple drawings to help illustrat...more
Jsem velmi spokojená. Kniha sice navazuje na "Ubrousek", ale není nutné číst tyto knihy popořadě. Nabízí zase nové "berličky", jak propojovat lišku a kolibříkem, tj. vnímání slov a obrázků. Výstupem jsou vcelku jednoduché návody, které je možné si uložit a opakovaně se k nim vracet.
Čtení je vhodné i pro učitele, protože si musíme uvědomit, že i grafická zobrazení (ano, nemusí to být jen obrázky) jsou pro pochopení učiva stejně důležitá jako výčty faktů. A navíc svět "bla, bla, bla" bychom také z...more
Čtení je vhodné i pro učitele, protože si musíme uvědomit, že i grafická zobrazení (ano, nemusí to být jen obrázky) jsou pro pochopení učiva stejně důležitá jako výčty faktů. A navíc svět "bla, bla, bla" bychom také z...more
I read this book because I've always been fascinated by the power of combining words and pictures to convey information. This was absolutely a Good Read and a highly recommend the book to anyone in a job situation which requires processing and conveying large volumes of information in a succinct way. Data visualization is huge and we're moving back to a place where less is more and pictures are worth a thousand words. I'm now a new fan of Dan Roam.
One of the best books in the market on visual thinking and conceptualizing. The author makes a case for using images to create thinking as opposed to words and he does a top notch job of convincing us on this.
I have been using his principles to great effect in my writing, training and speaking exercises.
If you want to get away from boring text and step into the world of images and visuals, this is the book. Go get it.
I have been using his principles to great effect in my writing, training and speaking exercises.
If you want to get away from boring text and step into the world of images and visuals, this is the book. Go get it.
Thinking visually... easier said than done. Using Dan Roam's analogy it seems like my fox (linear thinking, words) ate my hummingbird (visual thinking). Or maybe it is seriously injured.
Dan Roam has demonstrated to me in an entertaining and didactic way how important it is to draw ideas on paper. But it is difficult, a real challenge.
This is the perfect start to try to heal my hummingbird!
Dan Roam has demonstrated to me in an entertaining and didactic way how important it is to draw ideas on paper. But it is difficult, a real challenge.
This is the perfect start to try to heal my hummingbird!
Very good book on how to prepare the content of your talk/presentation that also can be use as an effective tool to think out your ideas/thoughts. Promote the use of both verbal and visual aspects in your message and how to develop visuals that are very relevant for your ideas, through the concept of vivid grammar and vivid forest.
Critical reading for anyone who does any form of public speaking (even if your "public" consists of a few people at the office). Roam teaches how to tap into your visual side to not only think but communicate more vividly. I picked the book up for ideas for a presentation I am working on and it has helped me not only clarify my ideas for that but I have found it has reshaped how I think about just about everything.
I can relate to his ideas: we use both side of our brain to communicate. I wish it was as easy to implement as he makes it sound. He follows his own rules in writing and the book has lots of tools and pragmatic steps to consider. I'll use it in my work - maybe look at his older stuff.
This is a good book for people who have never used visuals or drawing in their lives.
I have been drawing since before I could speak and have read hundreds of similar books.
I am jaded about the topic.
This is still a book I recommend to people who are new to the topic.
I have been drawing since before I could speak and have read hundreds of similar books.
I am jaded about the topic.
This is still a book I recommend to people who are new to the topic.
While reading this book I really got clear on the need to draw little drawings as I talk with people to make the ideas vivid and understandable on many different levels. It made my new found enjoyment of Draw Something on my iPad even more meaningful as I now I get to practice making words come to life with a very simple and fast drawing. ;-)
That may sound like I am kidding and I was as I typed that, but the reality is I have gotten much better at the simple little things that will work to do as...more
That may sound like I am kidding and I was as I typed that, but the reality is I have gotten much better at the simple little things that will work to do as...more
Got this at a content marketing event where Dan was a keynote. His presentation was amazing. This book gives great insight into how our minds work. If I could post pictures in my review I'd post the cover of this book and me giving a thumbs up.
Enjoyable sequel to Back of the Envelope that proposes a more formal approach to communicating ideas using words and drawings. Roam has several nice examples of difficult-to-follow news items that are easily understood with simple diagrams.
an advancement from The Napkin.
the three parts map of processing and understanding verbal data is good, but a bit jumpy from the 2nd part to the 3rd part, luckily the author explained them on the appendix.
great book, recommended.
the three parts map of processing and understanding verbal data is good, but a bit jumpy from the 2nd part to the 3rd part, luckily the author explained them on the appendix.
great book, recommended.
A book about how to pair words with pictures to effectively relay information to others. - Tamara, Web Content Librarian
Reserve a library copy!
Reserve a library copy!
Great reminder for those of us who work in the world of ideas: Words sometimes are not enough. A bit of business-book disease -- making up names and cute acronyms to brand a process -- but generally good stuff.
This is a must read for anyone who writes or teaches. The concept is so simple. I appreciate the reminder that not everything I say or write has to sound erudite. Simple is really best.
Wow. This book delivered. I would recommend it for anyone in any kind of human relations role... actually I would recommend it for everyone who wants to improve their communication.
The author wants our thinking and communication to be VIVID. By remembering to use both our visual and our verbal skills, we can better solve problems and share ideas. If your job requires you to persuade or convince others, and you aren't very successful, this book might help you understand why your message is being received as just so much blah, blah. The author has a great concept. Unfortunately, by the middle of the book I was overwhelmed by all of the diagrams and side-bar suggestions. I pu...more
This is a must-read for teachers and anyone who regularly leads meetings, gives presentations or creates marketing materials.
Disappointings. Lots of blah-blah about how to draw pictures when words fail you. Some interesting ideas but 345 pages, really?
Really well written. It's very clear, but it can seem a little tedious sometimes as each step is explained too thoroughly.
Profound in its simplicity. Another excellent book by this revolutionary thinker.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Apr 18, 2012 08:39am