Garr Reynolds's Blog, page 22

Making presentations that stick

Almost three years ago I praised the ideas expressed in the bestselling book Made to Stick. I even featured the ideas briefly in the first book, Presentation Zen. Earlier this month Fast Company Magazine featured a 3-minute video by Made to Stick co-author Dan Heath on their website called Presentations that Stick. Watch the video below or checkout the transcripts and resources on the Fast Company site. As you may recall from the book Made to Stick, if you want to communicate your ideas in...

You can learn a lot from a child (redux)

A few years ago I wrote this post called You can learn a lot from a child which features a video of a presentation by Severn Cullis-Suzuki. I was reminded of this because of recent events: over the weekend our daughter was born here in Japan. This is my first child, and I think already she is teaching me lessons. This has me thinking a lot more about new beginnings and the beginner's mind and the incredible potential that is within any child. Of course, all parents hope their children will...

The secret to great work is great play

We were born to play. Play is how we learn and develop our minds and our bodies, and it's also how we express ourselves. Play comes naturally to us. I was reminded of this while listening to a cool little jazz gig near the beach in Maui a couple of months ago. I snapped this photo below of a little girl enjoying the simple beauty of that musical moment by dancing happily all by herself.



I love this picture above because it shows both adults and a child at play. The adult musicians are...

We learn from stories and experience

When it comes to learning and genuinely retaining something, nothing beats experiences. Formal educational or speaking settings don't always allow for actual hands-on experience with the content, but almost every learning situation — including presentation in various forms — does permit the use of stories. Stories, that is, that illustrate the content and bring people in, enabling them to "experience" the material in an engaging, visual, and imaginative way. A way that will be remembered...

Jamie Oliver calls for all-out assault on our ignorance of food

This brand new talk by Jamie Oliver ("The Naked Chef") at TED 2010 is one I highly recommend you watch. This topic is very dear to my own heart as chronic poor eating habits were a strong contributing factor in my father's premature death when I was a child. You may have noticed that a few slides I have used in my books and seminars feature OECD data on obesity rates across the globe. In developed countries, the increasing rates in obesity has been dramatic. Japan has a relatively low...

Presentation Zen Design (the book)

The Presentation Zen Design book has been available from online retailers for about 5-6 weeks now, and the book is just now starting to show up on the shelves of book stores. A big note of gratitude and appreciation to those of you who purchased the book, especially those of you who took the time to write a review or write me a personal note. Thank you. It's been lovely to hear from so many people around the world. I realize money is tight these days, so the fact that you would spend cash...

Presentation: 9 ways to live better, longer, happier

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope 2010 is a healthy and meaningful one for you all. The new year is a time of new beginnings and promises to ourselves to be better in our personal and professional lives (It's also a time to visit the local shrine here in Japan). So the first presentation I point to this year is one that has a message that is important no matter who you are or what kind of work you're engaged in. In this TEDx talk below, National Geographic writer and explorer Dan Buettner...