Clear and to the Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations

I have recently been preparing to give presentations during academic job interviews and although I've given countless ppt presentations, I still felt ineffective in my use of the medium. I have tried reading other books (Why Most PowerPoint Presentations Suck, for example), but have found little use in them. This book, though based on visual processing research, is presented clearly and concisely. Kosslyn describes and gives clear examples of the 8 principles, but goes a step further by exemplifying them in the way the book is organized. Certainly I was aware of some of the general "don'ts" in ppt such as not varying the font greatly throughout the presentation. However, this book helped me understand why I shouldn't do this. By knowing the why behind the rule, I can know use this knowledge more flexibly. Some have indicated in their reviews that the information in this book was "basic." It may seem so, but given the fact that I have seen these 8 principles violated even in the most sophisticated and experienced presenters, I would invoke the old saying that common sense is not all that common. Perhaps people needed to understand why they should follow these principles to be convinced. Finally, I appreciated Kosslyn's treatment of Tufte's argument that PowerPoint should never be used. Kosslyn makes that case that PowerPoint can be a powerful way to convey complex ideas, if used properly. Now that I know the 8 principles, I am confident that my presentations will be "clear and to the point."

There are so many books on powerpoint presentations that cutting through the clutter is difficult and after a while they all sound about the same. This book however is different because it lives up to it's title. It gives clear examples of do's and don't's showing how the same information is cleaned up and presented. The eight principles it conveys are straight-forward and useful. Given the low price it's well worth the money - especially if you are a manager of people who use powerpoint. It belongs on your office or cubicle bookshelf.

This is the best book I've ever read on how to design effective presentations. It is sound, clear, and funny. A must-read!

Finally!, a book that engages visual communication practice with cognitive neuroscience and psychology research. Too often these areas live separately and as a graphic designer professor, I find the Kosslyn's content invaluable. As producers of visual communication, students should know what is going on in the mind of their users. I plan on adding Clear and to the Point to my course reading list.

This is a great book. I really liked the psicological approach and the appendix where the author goes with more detailed scientific description of how psicology interacts with communications and powerpoint.