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rodhilton's review
5.0
I really love that there are so many books that are specifically geared toward programmers, like we're a totally different type of organism than normal people. Fitness for Geeks, Presentation Patterns, The Clean Coder, all of these books describe how to do a thing that everyone else has to do with a very specific slant toward programmers and technical people. I'm not sure what that says about me and my fellow programmers that we need our own special little books, but I'm sure it's something. Coming soon: "Doing Taxes for Programmers."
In any case, Presentation Patterns is excellent. I've had a goal of giving more presentations and sharing stuff I learn with my peers, but I often don't have much confidence in what I'm doing. Recently I gave two talks that went relatively well, and I read PP after giving them. I learned an awful lot about things I instinctively did well and things I did very poorly.
PP is full of tons of real-world, usable tips, ranging from how to speak clearly to how to organize your thoughts to the actual mechanics of doing specific things in Keynote and Powerpoint. It's very detailed in this way, rarely leaving the reader wondering how to do a thing the book describes.
One complaint is that the book is a bit short on visual examples, in some places. I think every pattern covered should have had actual screenshots from powerpoints which illustrate the pattern (or antipattern). Many of the entries had such screenshots, but not all. Some patterns and antipatterns left me wondering what they would look like in real life.
I particularly liked that the book didn't spend much time dealing with basic speaking concerns, like getting over nervousness or imagining your audience in their underwear. The approach the book takes is that you will beat nervousness by knowing what you're talking about and what you're doing, and the book aims to give you those tools. Getting over nerves comes naturally when you have a killer presentation. In effect, this book isn't "Public Speaking for Dummies" it almost assumes you've already read such a book, and specifically want to get the delta between regular public speaking and giving technical presentations.
Overall, reading this book gives me a lot more confidence about how to craft good presentations, and it has definitely encouraged me to speak more. I feel less like an inexperienced person, which gives me the motivation and know-how to present more. It's exactly the book I was looking for, and it did a great job. Highly recommended for technical people who want to speak more often.
In any case, Presentation Patterns is excellent. I've had a goal of giving more presentations and sharing stuff I learn with my peers, but I often don't have much confidence in what I'm doing. Recently I gave two talks that went relatively well, and I read PP after giving them. I learned an awful lot about things I instinctively did well and things I did very poorly.
PP is full of tons of real-world, usable tips, ranging from how to speak clearly to how to organize your thoughts to the actual mechanics of doing specific things in Keynote and Powerpoint. It's very detailed in this way, rarely leaving the reader wondering how to do a thing the book describes.
One complaint is that the book is a bit short on visual examples, in some places. I think every pattern covered should have had actual screenshots from powerpoints which illustrate the pattern (or antipattern). Many of the entries had such screenshots, but not all. Some patterns and antipatterns left me wondering what they would look like in real life.
I particularly liked that the book didn't spend much time dealing with basic speaking concerns, like getting over nervousness or imagining your audience in their underwear. The approach the book takes is that you will beat nervousness by knowing what you're talking about and what you're doing, and the book aims to give you those tools. Getting over nerves comes naturally when you have a killer presentation. In effect, this book isn't "Public Speaking for Dummies" it almost assumes you've already read such a book, and specifically want to get the delta between regular public speaking and giving technical presentations.
Overall, reading this book gives me a lot more confidence about how to craft good presentations, and it has definitely encouraged me to speak more. I feel less like an inexperienced person, which gives me the motivation and know-how to present more. It's exactly the book I was looking for, and it did a great job. Highly recommended for technical people who want to speak more often.
charliemartin's review
4.0
I liked this book more and more during the read.
It's however not a book to work out and then leave, but a book to use as a reference when preparing for giving a presentation. It's full of suggestion and examples.
Suggested for "software guy" that need to improve their presentation skills and for skilled presenter that want to learn new techniques.
It's however not a book to work out and then leave, but a book to use as a reference when preparing for giving a presentation. It's full of suggestion and examples.
Suggested for "software guy" that need to improve their presentation skills and for skilled presenter that want to learn new techniques.
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