Review
I picked up Ted Talks by Chris Anderson largely because I’ve found myself doing more public events where I need to ‘not look stupid’ in front of an audience. Most of these events take considerable preparation, and trying to figure it all out as I went was essentially taking the long, hard path.
A training course a few years back gave me the basics of creating and running a workshop, but I didn’t really have a good handle on what made for a good speech.
So when I stumbled across Ted Talks, I grabbed a copy. It came at the perfect time as I had to do a reading at the Romance Gauntlet as part of the Canberra Writers Festival. I used the book to help me create a very memorable ‘reading’.
What the book provides is an overall perspective on proven techniques to consider when giving a talk, including:
- breaking the structure of the talk down
- what works
- what doesn’t
- using images and other visuals
- pitfalls to avoid when using presentation software
- techniques for speaking.
Rather than offering a specific formula to follow or a hard list of do’s and don’ts, the book breaks down examples and draws out the lessons using both successful talks and those that didn’t go over so well, all taken from a long heritage of TED Talks.
The overall message is ‘do what works best for you’, while offering useful techniques and pointers on how to create the best speech for you.
About the book
“Ted Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking] explains how the miracle of powerful public speaking is achieved, and equips you to give it your best shot. There is no set formula; no two talks should be the same. The goal is for you to give the talk that only you can give. But don’t be intimidated. You may find it more natural than you think. Chris Anderson has shown how carefully crafted short talks can be the key to unlocking empathy, stirring excitement, spreading knowledge, and promoting a shared dream. Done right, a talk can electrify a room and transform an audience’s worldview. Done right, a talk is more powerful than anything in written form.”