On Public Speaking

image from here

I used to hate public speaking; now I love it, because I've come to learn its power.  As Chris Anderson (head of TED) says, "Every meaningful element of human progress has happened only because humans have shared ideas with each other and then collaborated to turn those ideas into reality."  That collaboration requires public speaking- and it can transform the world.

In my opinion, today's heavy focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) is producing a society where communication skills are under-valued and (therefore) under-developed.  Ironically, in an age where we have more ways of communicating than ever before, we do it increasingly poorly.  And yet it's vital!  The best scientists and engineers undermine themselves through poor communication.

Earlier this month, I read a smattering of books on public speaking, one after another.  I enjoy this approach- it gives me a balanced and diverse perspective on a topic (I did it last year for the canon of Scripture) while things are fresh in my mind.  And, I've found value in producing a summary of what I've learned, concisely articulating it for posterity.  To that end, below is my take on public speaking, based on ideas from books reviewed earlier this month.  I break it into four areas: basics, audience, preparation, delivery.

1. Basics
The goal of public speaking is to inform, influence, and interact with an audience.
- We inform through sharing ideas and information.
- We influence by affecting how people see the world.  Everything we tell them adds to, affirms, or alters (challenges) their world view.  That's powerful!
- We interact by engaging the audience- building relationships, addressing needs and collaborating in real time.  It's possible to be informed and influenced by many things, but interaction is what sets public speaking apart.

The golden rule of public speaking: it's not about you!  Communication is for the recipient.  Sometimes speakers think it's their time to build themselves up, brag, or blow the audience away with knowledge and accomplishment.  Dead wrong.  You are giving something to your audience- it's about them.  Make it count.

The value of public speaking: it makes you learn your topic better than you would otherwise (if you want to learn a topic, try teaching it; when preparing properly, you'll increase understanding).  Additionally, it helps you articulate your thoughts in a coherent, concise, logical form.  Not to mention the aforementioned influence a good talk can have.  So don't shun opportunities!  Embrace them as chances to learn.

2. Audience
Because it's not about you, understanding your audience is key to effective public speaking- and it shapes your preparation.  There are many things to consider about your audience:
- Who: How many people?  What's their background (seniority, education, occupation, culture)?  What's their disposition and expectation?
- What: what's the topic?
- Why: Why were you asked to talk?  What is the audience expecting?  What do they need?
- When: How long do you have?  What time of day?  Are you a stand-alone talk or one of many?  If the latter, where do you fall int he sequence?
- Where: What's the room like?  What are the possibilities and limitations?

3. Preparation
Once you know your audience, it's time to prepare your talk.  The first key is to know your topic thoroughly.  This helps you convey confidence and competence to your audience- not to mention it gives you flexibility to adjust the talk on the fly based on questions and audience needs.

The second step: develop an outline with your main points, keeping your audience and purpose in view at all times.  A few keys here:

- Keep it simple.  It's key to common understanding.

• Don't assume- avoid jargon and define key words.  Include the basics.  Einstein once said "if you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it well enough."
• Focus the message on what the audience needs, and no more.
• Make it flow logically, producing a connected narrative.
• Be as concise as possible.  Plan for less time than you have.  I've never heard people say, "Gee, I wish that would have lasted longer."  I've heard plenty say, "When will this end?"

- Make it interesting and memorable.

• Be authentic; people can spot a faker.  Say what needs to be said- nicely.  Candor is refreshing and less common than you might think.
• Add supplemental materials- or don't.  What makes sense?  Handouts?  Slides?  If using slides, use simple messages, shocking stats and powerful images to convey points quickly- in three seconds or less!  Any supplemental materials divide the audience's attention between you and what you gave them- keep that in mind.
• Use stories and examples.  These inspire and give emotion/relevance to data.  
• Humor can be powerful and unifying, but be careful.

- Include a takeaway, if applicable.  Be clear on anything you need/expect the audience to do.

The third step: practice.  There's no substitute.  It helps refine your ideas, words and flow into something great.  Some people practice their talks hundreds of times.  Great speakers- the ones that make it look easy- are often simply those that practice intensely.  Scott Berkun said,  "all good public speaking is based on good private thinking."  Practice is a form of private thinking that will shape your talk into something amazing.  Whenever I practice talks, I find myself honing in on key phrases that make all the difference.  But it's not quick or natural- it's simply practice.

4. Delivery
Once you've prepared and practiced, it's time to deliver your talk.
- Beforehand: know the room and dress appropriately (which generally means matching your audience).
- At the start: gauge and engage the audience.  Check their disposition, energy levels, etc.  Interact with them and get them involved from the start.  Tell them your plan so they get the big picture and can follow your talk as it progresses.
- Throughout: model what you want them to feel- remember the importance of tone and body language in so doing (Professor Mehrabian had a famous study that indicated only 7% of emotion is communicated through what is said; the other 93% is through tone (how you say it) and body language.  DON'T user filler words ("um, uh, like," etc.).  Filler words are poor attempts to avoid the perceived awkwardness of short silences.  In truth, pauses help folks process.  Pay attention to the audience; adjust based on continual feedback.  Sometimes, you may even have to scrap your plan to meet their needs.
- At the end: recap the main points, including takeaways if applicable.
- After: your talk doesn't end when it ends.  Answer questions, follow up, provide promised information or materials, and review feedback if offered.
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If you remember nothing else from the above, take away the keys: remember your audience, know your material, keep it simple, and practice.  If you do these things, you will be an amazing public speaker.

5-Minute Dungeon

Today's review is of the 2017 release, 5-Minute Dungeon.  For 2-5 players, it takes 5-25 minutes.

Overview
Venture into the dungeon and face obstacles, people, monsters and mini-bosses on your way to the confronting the final boss.  It won't be easy . . . but you won't be alone.  Each player has a hero board  that gives you a special ability and a unique deck of cards, which you'll need to defeat all you encounter.

hero boards; image from here

At the start, choose a final boss to play and place the indicated number of 'door cards' (obstacles, people, monsters, and mini-bosses) on top of the final baddie.

bosses; image from here

Each player draws 5 cards.  Start the timer- you have 5 minutes to get to and defeat the boss.  Flip over the first door card and note the symbols indicated on the card- you collectively must play cards with matching symbols to defeat it and move to the next.  As soon as your hand drops below 5 cards, draw back up to 5.  Any player(s) can play matching cards to proceed.

door card examples; image from here

cards you play to overcome door cards; image from here

If overcome all door cards and the final boss in under 5 minutes, you win!  Then move on to the next boss- which means more door cards- and see how you do.  Can you get through all 5 bosses?

Review
This is a wonderful game.  Easy to learn and fast to play, it's an enjoyable experience for young and old (my kids love this game).  You can play all 5 bosses (taking 25 minutes) or choose only 1 for a 5-minute encounter.  The bosses increase in difficulty, and the final two can be defeated only (in my experience) when playing with 4 or 5 players. Pick this up if you see it.

Rating: A

Generation Decks (Titus Chalk)

Generation Decks is part history, part biographies, part memoir, all centered around Magic: The Gathering, the genre-defining collectible card game that came on the scene 25 years ago and is still going strong.  Author (and avid Magic player) Titus Chalk looks at:

- how mathematician Richard Garfield and a fledgling company (Wizards of the Coast) created the game
- the growing pains of the game's development and dissemination to a wider audience
- the boost Magic got by the coincidental decline in the comics industry, which gave store owners a need that Magic satisfied
- the initial boom in sales and how Wizards responded
- how Wizards kept the focus on the players and handled speculators driving up prices (by mass producing to drive down costs)
- business decisions Wizards made to keep the game relevant to veterans while attracting new players (by introducing different rotational formats like "standard")
- the atmosphere and impact of official events like Grands Prix and Magic pro tours
- Chalk's own history with Magic as his family bounced between the UK, New Zealand, and France
- the typically-'fringe' gaming crowd and its increasing acceptance in society
- profiles of some of the game's big names (famous players who have won thousands on Magic's pro tour circuit)
- Magic's relationship with and influence on Usenet (the nascent Internet)
- How the game has evolved over time
- the impact Magic has had on bringing intellectual contests (with their typically-marginalized devotees) into pop culture- trying to put mental contests on par with athletic ones

Overall, I really enjoyed this read.  The author (a multi-lingual journalist) writes well and has an impressive vocabulary.  I love seeing 'behind the scenes' looks at how wildly popular and now-established phenomena got their start.  The history and business chapters were quite interesting.  Though chapters on individual players (including the author) seemed less relevant, they do give a personal touch and trigger my own poignant memories of this game and its place in my life.  If you're a Magic player, I highly recommend this.  If you're not, you should probably skip it.

Rating: A

Castle Panic

Today's review is of the 2009 release, Castle Panic.  For 1-6 players, it takes 60 minutes.

Overview
In Castle Panic, you and your friends (this is a cooperative game) are desperate to defend your tower from the hordes of monsters approaching from all directions.  A monster will approach from one of three different arcs (initial placement determined by a die roll) and advance steadily through rings, each of which can be covered by different defenders (like archers, knights, etc.).  On your turn, all monsters advance one ring.  Then you can draw, play, and trade cards to do as much damage as possible to the beasts (or slow them down).  Then, as your turn concludes, you must draw and place two more monsters on the outer ring, meaning the onslaught is unceasing.  Survive until the end to win!

the game board; image from here

Review
This is a decent game.  I'm not a huge fan of 'tower defense' games in general, but this was pretty fun.  The cooperative nature was good but felt lacking- most of the time, the next move (or best card trade) appeared obvious (not just for the active player but for all), directing choice and so minimizing the strategic element and tension (we didn't have to fret over hard choices- there were none).  It's not bad, and may be quite good for the genre, but I don't plan to play it often.

Rating: B

Concept

Today's review is of the 2013 release, Concept.  For 4-12 players, it takes 40 minutes.

Overview
Concept is a party game where you get players to guess a word or phrase by putting markers on a board of images (or concepts).  On your turn, you draw a card and pick one of the nine choices on it (see below example).  Then, you place markers on the board (see second image below) to get the others to guess your word.  For example, I drew Aladdin.  Thinking I could get people to guess by focusing on the genie, I put markers on fictional character, movie, happy, music (think Disney's version), blue, hot sun, rug [for flying carpet], face, hands, torso (but not legs).  They guessed it.

image from here

image from here

Review
I enjoyed the Concept experience, but more as a puzzle than a game.  It required more thinking, in my opinion, than most party games- it can be impressively difficult to deduce something from a collection of objects, and if the players get on a wrong mental track, it's hard to get them off of it.  It was fun, but the concentration and brainpower required may turn some away.

Rating: B

TrueFaced (Thrall et al.)

Are you authentic?  Do people know who you really are?  In TrueFaced, the authors argue that we all wear masks, hiding behind an image we want to be (resorting to appearances) rather than reveal our real selves- but they show the way to freedom.  A summary follows.

We wear masks because of sin.  We feel guilt (for what we do) and hurt (for what others do to us).  And when we don't resolve it appropriately, it spreads and causes problems as we hide it.  How do we fix it? 

For the Christian, we're in one of two camps: pleasing God or trusting God.  The first camp is one of appearances, constantly striving in an effort to please God, earn his favor, and achieve godliness.  The second trusts what God says is true about us- that we are already godly because of the righteousness Christ has given us.  The second is where we need to be.

"How I view myself is the most revealing commentary of my theology."  God has already changed us.  We're not perfect in this life, because we still have sin in us.  And yet, "we need to see each other as saints who sin, rather than as sinners who are saved."  That's fundamentally different than how we (and the world) tend to think.  Because of this reality, we can be honest with each other about our failures- and it changes everything.

When we're secure with who we are in Christ, we acknowledge our failures.  We realize that our good deeds don't earn God's love- we already have it- and our failures don't separate us from God.  That's freedom!  We're free to discuss our sin and that of others with gifts of grace: love, repentance, and forgiveness.

Love understands I have needs.  Having needs met is being loved, and we can freely admit we desire to be loved, and let others do so on their terms.  We can say "I need help."

"Repentance isn't doing something about our sin; rather, it means admitting that we can't do anything about our sin."

Forgiveness admits something happened and forgives the consequences.  We're honest with God about what happened, and forgive the offender for our benefit and theirs, seeking reconciliation.

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This book was pretty good.  I've seen many of its truths in my life.  I'm most obedient not when I'm striving to be, but when I acknowledging that I'm in Christ regardless of whether I sin or not.  He loves me regardless- and this produces a desire to do good.  When I do well not to earn His love, but out of a response to His love, that's where I'm supposed to be.  But too often I fall back into a mindset of "I must do good for God to love/bless me," which produces an exhausting (and always unsuccessful) striving mentality.  Here's the truth: when I'm doing well, I'm not earning God's love, and when I'm doing poorly, I'm not escaping His love.  True freedom- because I can now admit my wrongs to others and life in true authenticity, dropping my masks because my value isn't based on my action or good deeds but my identity in Christ.  I can freely say "I'm wrong," "I failed," or "I need help."  And when we live authentically with each other, true community results.  We as humans want to know and be known by each other.

Though the book certainly had good points, it felt way too long (it could have been an article), and I didn't care for the way the information was presented.  But it is worth a look.

Rating: A-

Dragonwood

Today's review is of the 2015 release, Dragonwood.  For 2-4 players, it takes 20-30 minutes.

Overview
Do you dare enter the magical forest?  In Dragonwood, you play sets of adventurer cards to earn dice, which you use to fight monsters or acquire powerful enhancements.  Adventurer cards have a number (1-12) and color (blue, orange, red, purple, or green).  There are three ways to play sets of cards:
- "strike"- sequential cards (regardless of color)
- "stomp"- cards that are all the same number (regardless of color)
- "scream"- cards that are the same color (regardless of number)

example sets of adventurer cards; image from here

Each monster or enhancement has a strike, stomp, and scream value (see below examples).  The number of cards you play in a set determines how many dice you roll; the type of set determines your type of attack.  For example, if you played a set of 4 sequential cards (a "strike"), you would roll 4 dice and compare the total against the strike value of the card you want to obtain.  If your value meets or exceeds the card, you capture it, earning victory points (if a monster) or special abilities (if an enhancement), which help you capture monsters.

image from here

At the beginning of the game, each player is dealt 5 adventurer cards from the adventurer deck (red back), and a 'landscape' of 5 cards is produced from the dragonwood deck (green back).  On your turn, you either:
- reload (draw a card from the adventurer deck), or
- capture (play a set of cards and roll that many dice in an attempt to capture a card, as described above).

If a card is captured, the gaining player takes it and replaces the vacated landscape spot with a new dragonwood card.  Players take turns until the dragonwood deck is empty or both dragons are defeated.  Then, the player with the most victory points wins!

Review
I really like this game.  It's a fast-playing set collection mechanic with multiple ways to do it.  There's some strategy but it's simple enough for kids to enjoy- and my kids enjoy this a lot.  I do, too.  Check this one out.

Rating: A

Monza

Today's review is of the 2000 release, Monza.  For 2-6 players, it takes 10 minutes- and is intended for children.

Overview
Race time!  Your goal is to be the first around the track, which has color-coded squares across three lanes.  On your turn, you roll dice with colors matching the track squares, and those colors determine which squares you can enter that turn.  You can change lanes (as long as you're always advancing). Plan wisely!

Review
For a kid's game, I really enjoyed this.  It's mostly- but not entirely- luck, as the dice determine possibilities.  However, with lane changes, you can optimize your path and make the most out of bad rolls.  It teaches youngsters colors and basic strategy.  Good stuff!

Rating: A

HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations (Nancy Duarte)

Another day, another book on public speaking.  This time, it's the Harvard Business Review Guide to Persuasive Presentations.  Some cogent points:

Remember that it's about the audience.  "The people in your audience came to see what you can do for them, not what they must do for you."  "It's your job to determine the best way to connect with your audience."  How do people prefer to process information?  Give them insights to improve their lives, business, etc.  Show the audience that you value their time and care about their needs.  Knowing people "makes it easier to influence them."  Questions to ask getting to know your audience:

- why are they here?
- what keeps them up at night?
- how can you solve their problems?
- what do you want them to do?
- how might they resist?
- how can you best reach them?

There are four types of audiences: doers, suppliers, influencers, innovators.  Each can help you- if you help them.  "Never deliver a presentation you wouldn't want to sit through."

Briefing is powerful because it is so influential.  "When you present, you're asking people in the room to change their behavior or beliefs in some way, big or small."  So make it simple- don't make people work hard to identify what matters.  Don't assume everyone will understand jargon.  If it's necessary to include, define it.  Your words must be both clear and memorable.

Use stories where you can.  Personal stories told with passion are the most effective.  Stories are "the most compelling platform we have for managing imaginations."  Why?  Because they point to what is and what could be.  The result: "all good presentations convey and resolve some kind of conflict or imbalance."  You can create conflict by looking at what is and what could be.  "Begin by describing life as the audience knows it . . . this creates a bond . . . and opens them up to hear your ideas for change."  And "your ending should leave people with a heightened sense of what could be- and willingness to believe or do something new."  Speakers must appeal to people's minds and hearts.  So you need both analytical and emotional content.

Use metaphors.  Statistics, too, if they're impressive. 

When presenting, think about what (if any) supplemental content you need.  If using slides, use them well.  Slides split attention (between you and the slides).  Therefore, make data clear and simply presented.  People should 'get' your slide in 3 seconds, then resume paying attention to you..  Beware: "If your content can be distributed and clearly understood without a presenter, you've created a document- not a presentation."
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This book is pretty good.  It's clear, concise, and comprehensive.  It's almost too concise, which is a rarity.  It's written with the assumption that you had an idea you want someone to adopt . . . but it's a decent reference.

Rating: A-

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs (Carmine Gallo)

Full disclosure: I only skimmed this book.

In The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, author Carmine Gallo promises to show "how to be insanely great in front of any audience."  He does so in three 'acts,' each with 'scenes' as shown below:

Act 1: Create the Story

• plan in analog, answer the question that matters most, develop a sense of purpose, create twitter-like headlines, draw a road map, introduce the antagonist, reveal the conquering hero

Act 2: Deliver the Experience

• channel their inner zen, dress up your numbers, use 'zippy' words, share the stage, use props, have a big reveal

Ace 3: Refine and Rehearse

• master stage presence, make it look effortless, wear the appropriate costume, toss the script, have fun

As you'd expect from the title, the book heavily focuses on Apple's late executive Steve Jobs and his methods.

This book is okay.  As this is my fourth (or fifth?) book on presenting in the last week, I see nothing new here, and a few limitations.  Focusing almost exclusively on Jobs means this book:
- is constrained by his strengths and weaknesses, failing to present other valid methods used by other excellent speakers
- focuses on sales pitches/product demonstrations

I recommend a more general treatment.

Rating: B-

Confessions of a Public Speaker (Scott Berkun)

In Confessions of a Public Speaker, Scott Berkun uses an unconventional approach.  Rather than provide a systematic "how to" outline, like most books of this nature, Berkun tells a series of stories in a conversational manner, each illustrating an important concept in public speaking.  The result is less organized but no less informative, and more entertaining to boot.  Below are the thoughts I found particularly valuable.

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Many people fear public speaking, but a key thing to remember: the audience really doesn't care that much (or even notice the things you may obsess about).  They've been in your shoes, and they're rooting for you to succeed.  And "succeed" doesn't equal "perfection"- "If you'd like to be good at something, the first thing to go out the window is the notion of perfection."  You will make mistakes, and that's okay; "obsessing about perfection stops you from growing."  Folks will overlook mistakes when they're hearing a good and useful talk- they want to learn and be entertained.  And remember- everyone gets nervous.  Mark Twain said "there are two types of speakers: those who are nervous and those that are liars."  But "we can minimize most of [our] fears by realizing that we speak in public all the time."

Good public speaking starts well before any preparation.  "All good public speaking is based on good private thinking."  We need "the ability to think and refine rough ideas into clear ones" well before we ever get on stage.  Cogent points and memorable sound bites are often the product of months of thinking.  What takes five seconds to deliver may have been long in development.

The golden rule is keep it simple.  "Good lectures are never comprehensive because it's the wrong format to do so."  Formats like TED or Ignite! talks are deliberately time-limited because it "forces speakers to distill their message down to its most concise, passionate, potent form."  They've proven tremendously effective.  So keep it short, and your talk should have a simple outline.  Make sure "there is always a clear, simple structure for what you're doing and why."  Open your talk with that plan.  Tell them what you'll tell them (and how long it will take), so they have a mental map.  Keep it simple and rehearse often.  That may mean great ideas  get tossed because they don't fit in that particular framework.  And that's okay!

Venue matters.  "Many challenges are created by the room itself . . . "  But own your turf- make small crowds in big rooms sit up front, densely, and make the most of any situation by realizing it's up to you to make it work. 

Remember it's about the audience.  Audiences want to be educated, inspired, entertained.  They may have a need they look to you to satisfy, want to meet others interested in the topic, or are forced to be there.  As a speaker, embody what you want the audience to be.  Want them to be enthusiastic?  Show enthusiasm . . . "but it has to be done in a way they can connect with, which is hard to do."  In preparing your talk, don't start with slides- start with the audience, then develop an outline, then worry about slides.  And remember: "The easiest way to be interesting is to be honest."

Speakers must teach.  Part of that is finding and simplifying insights- "remember how it felt to be a complete novice."  Don't hoard knowledge; give it away.  It will benefit them at you- you'll find that "it's impossible to teach something without learning something along the way."
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This is a good book.  The different approach is refreshing, if nothing else.  The author is funny and snarky at times, with colorful language and raw honesty showing he's "one of the guys," not some self-important academic looking down on us all.  The honesty is refreshing and engaging, while I didn't always care for some of the cursing, he did present his true self.  Though I prefer systematic outlines and traditional delivery, I did learn and was entertained.

Rating: A-

The Exceptional Presenter (Timothy Koegel)

In the author's own words, "The Exceptional Presenter provides the essential skills, techniques and strategies necessary for you to present yourself and your ideas at an exceptional level, to any audience, in any venue."

Summary
Koegel argues that he has a proven formula for success in public speaking, encapsulated in the acronym OPEN UP.  The exceptional speaker is or works to be:

Organized: "develop a structure that allows you to frame your objective, cover all relevant material, transition smoothly . . . and finish strong."  And don't forget: "Keep it short.  Keep it focused.  Keep it relevant."  There are five components to a good structure:

1. Begin with a purpose
2. Obejctive/Purpose/Mission/Goal
3. Position/Situation/Issues
4. End Result/Benefit/Consequences
5. Next Step/Action Plan/Time Line

Passionate: "Exceptional presenters radiate passion, conviction, and enthusiasm."  "Your non-verbal messages will override anything you say."

Engaging: "Exceptional presenters connect with their audiences.  They build rapport quickly and involve audiences early and often."  There are eleven ways to connect:

1. Speak to the Interests of Your Audience
2. Use Stories, Examples and Anecdotes
3. Eye Contact Is an Essential Engagement Tool
4. Don't Waste Time Talking to Inanimate Objects
5. Smile
6. Use Names Early and Often
7. Get to Your Feet
8. Use Current Events and Periodicals
9. Humor
10. Read Your Audience
11. Get Your Audience Involved

Natural: "Exceptional presenters are natural.  Their style is conversational, and they look completely at ease in front of any audience."  Most people get nervous- even seasoned presenters.  It shows you care.  It's not about avoiding nerves . . . it's using that energy to your benefit.  "Johnny Carson said he was nervous every night prior to his Tonight Show monologue.  He did over 4000 shows."

Understand the Audience: it's rule 1.
Practice: "Mastering . . . skills is a matter of making them habits."


Review
This is okay.  It has a lot of good points, but the presentation is less than ideal.  The author acknowledges that "it reads more like a presentation than a textbook;" perhaps it would be better in that medium.  Additionally, it appears geared towards giving sales pitches and "winning" sales, jobs, etc.  That's one reason to speak, but not the only.

Rating: B

TED Talks (Chris Anderson)

Chances are good you've heard of TED talks.  The organization's mantra is "ideas worth spreading," and their annual conference featuring a series of talks (each held to an 18-minute limit) about a wide variety of topics has become tremendously popular.  Speakers at these events are known for their top-notch presentations, and in TED Talks, organization president Chris Anderson shares their secrets.  The below summary shares thoughts and quotes presented in the book.

Summary

Public speaking matters- we shape each other's behavior by sharing ideas, and public speaking is a powerful forum in which to do so.  "Public speaking is the key to unlocking empathy, stirring excitement, sharing knowledge and insights, and promoting a shared dream."  "Done right, a talk can electrify a room and transform an audience's worldview."  And it can go beyond worldview to transform society itself: "Every meaningful element of human progress has happened only because humans have shared ideas with each other and then collaborated to turn those ideas into reality."

Though (or perhaps because) it has such power, fear of public speaking is common.  Why?  Perhaps because "there is no one way to give a great talk," and that can be intimidating.  And yet, it's important- "Ideas that could solve our toughest problems often remain invisible because the brilliant people in whose minds they reside lack the confidence or the know-how to share ideas effectively."  That's why the author believes "Presentation literacy . . . is a core skill for the twenty-first century."

The Basics
"Your number-one mission as a speaker is to take something that matters deeply to you and to rebuild it inside the minds of your listeners."  To do that, you need to have something worth saying.  And it's not about you- "The key principle is to remember that the speaker's job is to give to the audience, not take from them."  They are giving you time; you are giving them experiences and insights that are unique to you and worth sharing.  What are the issues that matter most- to them?  Ask yourself, "will it make a difference to the audience to have this knowledge?"  Be relevant to your audience- don't leave them wondering why you're talking to them.  Done correctly, your crowd will be intrigued, informed, and inspired.

Structure

To start, you should have a 'throughline'- a connecting theme.  Map it beforehand (to aid your preparation) and at the start of your talk (to aid audience comprehension).  Keep big picture in view and make people aware of it.  It's easier to follow a speaker when the audience has some idea where you are and where you're going.  And remember to do two things:
- show why your talk matters, and
- "flesh out each point you make with real examples, stories, facts."
But don't pack too much in- less is more.  It's better to be more focused, which will have more impact.  It's not what how much can you pack into [x] minutes- it's what can you do well in that time.

An example structure:

A. Introduction- getting settled, what will be covered
B. Context- why this issue matters
C. Main Concepts
D. Practical Implications
E. Conclusion

Tools
There are five tools speakers use:

1. Connection
• Hearing a talk is different than reading; "there has to be a human connection."  To connect, make eye contact, show vulnerability, use humor (hilarious true stories are the best), park ego, and tell a story (personal ones if possible).
2. Narration
• Everyone can relate to stories; use them if possible.  Make sure to provide the correct level of detail (not too little/much), use suspense, and include a satisfying resolution.  Remember why you're telling it.
3. Explanation
• Start where the audience is, make them curious, introduce concepts one by one, and use metaphors and examples to aid understanding.  When people understand, excitement follows.
• Language needs to be shared by speaker and listener (spell out acronyms/etc.).
• Beware the 'curse of knowledge'- just because you know it, don't assume your audience does!
4. Persuasion
• "means convincing an audience that the way they see the world isn't quite right.  And that means taking down the parts that aren't working, as well as rebuilding something better."  Must be done in steps, by 'priming' the mind.
• Not just about logic; anecdotes (showing how you grew passionate about a topic) and other devices can aid.
5. Revelation
• The most direct way is showing people what you mean.
• The goal is to "give us the inside scoop."

Preparing Your Talk

The author discusses "four key elements of the talk-preparation process."

1. Visuals (yes or no; if yes, which?)
• Visuals can be good and bad (show powerful concepts, but pull attention away from speaker and split attention).
• Key elements to strong visuals: "revelation [show something hard to describe], explanatory power, aesthetic appeal"
• "The main purpose of visuals . . . [is] to share things your mouth can't do so well: photographs, video, animations, key data."
2. Script/memorize your talk, or speak off the cuff?
• Either approach has merits and drawbacks; do what suits you best.  But either way, see next point.
3. How to practice
• Rehearse early and often.  By yourself; with practice listeners.  There's no substitute for preparation.
4. How to open and close well
• Open well: today's countless distractions, numerous responsibilities, and associated fatigue make this hard.  You can overcome this, though, by a few techniques: deliver drama, ignite curiosity, show a compelling item, and tease (but don't give away) something big.
• Closing well is also important; people could take away only your final statements.  Plan that in advance.

Other Matters

- Wardrobe: depends on event context.  Ask around (or use knowledge of institutional culture) and plan accordingly.

- What you do with your voice and body matter.  There are six voice tools: volume, pitch, pace, timbre, tone, prosody.  Be mindful of each of these.  And for body language, "find a mode of being on stage in which you're comfortable and confident, and which doesn't detract from what you're saying."  Ultimately, voice and body needs to convey passion.  "You want them to understand you, yes, but you also want them to feel your passion.  And the way you do that is not by telling them to be passionate about this topic, it's by showing your own passion."


Concluding Thoughts
Humans have a unique ability to dream of a world that doesn't today exist but might someday.  To do so, we need people from every discipline to come together and understand each other.  It enables imagination, invention, innovation, vision, etc.  Therefore, paint a compelling picture of the future.  Show "how your work connects to everything else."

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Review
This is a good read- succinct, well-written, and informative.  Of course, it's geared towards presentations of the nature and scale found at TED conferences, but many of the concepts are applicable to any speaking scenario.

Rating: A

Howl's Moving Castle

Today's review is of the 2004 release, Howl's Moving Castle.

When a young girl is cursed by a witch, her only hope lies with Howl, the mysterious and self-centered wizard who lives in a moving castle.  She moves in as a housekeeper and befriends the inhabitants: a young boy, a fire demon Calcifer, and a scarecrow who hangs around outside.  She comes to find that many of them have curses . . and the path to restoration may be much different than they all think.

The animation is wonderful and enchanting; the story has moments of brilliance but can be bizarre and confusing.  Ultimately, I believe the message is that love breaks curses . . . but I wasn't sure.  Still, this film is highly regarded, and I can see why.  It's worth a look.

Rating: B+

So Begins 2018

2018- another year, another fresh start!  This post captures my hopes for the year.

Use it or lose it
I want 2018 to focus on the 'use it or lose it mindset' for games and movies (as books are now under control).

Personal Spending  & Budgeting
The personal spending goal remains the same: spend only what I receive as gift money on entertainment-type items (like books, movies, games, etc).

On budgeting, we have yet to develop an effective tracking/budgeting system.  That needs to change.  And, where possible, I want to support small businesses and buy from them before the bigger chains.

Fitness
I was mostly happy with my 2017 workout totals, given the realities of young children.  So here's the 2018 goal: 80 runs for 240 miles, 120 gym workouts, consistent stretching/yoga

Along with this is weight loss: dropping 5 lbs last year, I want to lose 10 more in 2018.

Reading
I plan to read 40 books this year, with a focus on:
- books I own but haven't read yet (that's only 5) or haven't read in 10+ years (to see if they're worth keeping)
- the American Wild West (an odd fancy I've had for months now)
- classic literature (those works we read in high school that I've long since forgotten)
- board game design

Board Games
I need to play all the games I own, but my main goal for 2018 is designing a board game.  I didn't say publish, mind you- but I'd like a working prototype, well play-tested, by year's end.

Slow Down & Focus
This may be impossible . . . but our culture is so fast-paced and 'scatter-brained.'  We all tend to do too much, and stretch too thin, with predictable results.   This year, I hope to take it a bit slower- focus on bettering a few friendships, do things (like designing a game) that take time and patience, and deliberately rest more.  I think the next goal will help in this area.

Screen Time
Here's a big one: I want to do away with 'small' screens (my iPod Touch) this year.  I use it to play games (su doku, solitaire, board game apps), and it's such a distraction and time waster.  It's deceiving- most things take only five minutes- but do it many times a day, and it adds up.  So no small screens this year, and I want to closely regulate big screen time, too- for the whole family.  Though my next goal is at odds with this . . .

Movies
There are so many classics- from every era- that I have not seen.  I'd like to change that in 2018, within reasonable limits (see prior goal).  A tentative number is 24 movies- two per month.

Spiritual
I need to be in a better daily routine for both prayer and scripture.  I also need to get back into daily devotionals with the family.

Parenting
Not sure how best to do this, but being more patient/gentle with the children, and giving them more attention, is on the docket.

Conclusion
Here's to success in 2018!