Beyond Bullet Points

At Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools, there is a great review of Cliff Atkinson's book, Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Presentations that Inform, Motivate, and Inspire.

Check out the more at Beyond Bullets Blog .

It is especially noteworthy in that the review is by noteworthy public speaker and acclaimed author, Howard Rheingold, who's 2002 book Smart Mobs has influenced the evolution of business and technology.

Howard writes:

A great PowerPoint presentation is a story well-told. A bad  PowerPoint is a mind-deadener. Thousands of businesspeople are snoozing away at this moment as slide after slide of fancy-transitioned words, words, and more bulleted words evaporate a fortune in productivity. Don't get me started on how badly made PowerPoint presentations are blunting the sharpest minds of today's college students. Google "Gettysburg Address"+"PowerPoint" to see for yourself.

It doesn't have to be that way!  Beyond Bullet Points shows you how to achieve excellence in presentations. I just looked at my bookshelf and noticed that my third copy of Beyond Bullet Points is missing, having been pressed into the hands of some startled friend, executive, teacher, activist, who was only trying to get out the door of my office.

Here's what it teaches in a nutshell: The medium of PowerPoint is one of visual storytelling. An excellent presentation is an excellent story. So, the structure of the story is first. Then a storyboard is needed. A storyboard is a series of sketches, or notes, about what you will talk about. These are not bullet points that the audience are meant to read, but visual reminders about what you are planning to say. Last, and least important, you add the words or text. The images rule! You can download admirable Word templates from the book's website, and get started storyboarding right away.