PowerPoint Presentations

Cutting Edge PowerPoint For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
$24.99
I use this book two ways.

Whenever I start a new presentation, I scan it for ideas on how to keep my presentations fresh. I particularly like the color plates in the middle of the book for guiding my color related design decisions, and the host of other design related tips.

Also, whenever I run into a technical problem that I can't easily resolve myself, I check the book and the answer is usually there.

Get the book, you won't be disappointed.

Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery
$34.99
Subtitled, "Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery," the author of this exceptional book is a writer, designer and musician who lives and works in Japan. Drawing upon zen principles throughout the book, each of the three key chapters (Preparation, Design and Delivery) is full of practical insights and examples of the primary principles for enhancing the reader's ability to make their points powerfully and concisely. Multiple topics close with an "In Sum" page that repeats the key principles of that portion of the book. Beautifully illustrated with scores of examples of both good and bad presentation slides (the book is not really about PowerPoint or Keynote, but the entire presentation process), Reynolds and his contributors provide excellent, practical insights on the entire process.

Some key takeaways from the book include:
-Seek to realize the maximum effort with the minimum means.
-Never start your design on a computer. Presentation software is not designed for the brainstorming necessary. Consider using Post-its on a wall or a storyboard.
-There are three documents in a presentation - the slides you show, the notes you use and the handouts you provide after the presentation.
-Avoid "slideuments" - Documents that are masquerading as PowerPoint slides.
-Be sure your presentation answers the two main questions: 1. What is your point? 2. Why does it matter?
-Practice the six Main Principles in your presentation - Simplicity, Unexpectedness, Concreteness, Credibility, Emotions and Stories (the acronym is SUCCESs).
-Regarding design (there are scores of examples in the book), remember the Big Four: Contrast, Repetition, Alignment and Proximity.

An incredibly useful (not to mention aesthetically striking) book for anyone who seeks to enhance their presentation skills.

To quote Seth Godin (one of the contributors and no slacker in this area himself!), "Please don't buy this book! Once people start making better presentations, mine won't look so good. (But if you really want to learn what works and how to do it right, Garr is the man to learn from.)"

Clear and to the Point: 8 Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations
$19.95
This is a terrific book with excellent direction on how to create a PowerPoint presentation which works with, rather than against, the way the mind processes visual information. The concepts are terrific and supported by neuroscience research, and I've been using them to radically improve my own slides.

The 'Do' and 'Don't' slides are also very good to bring the concepts to life. There are many lists of "10 things to remember" with mixed value, but you can typically find many useful nuggets in these lists. The author has presented these concepts in live workshops and has worked out the flow of the book so it feels very comfortable and flows well.

The biggest drawback is the difficult writing style. The author is obviously a very educated and intelligent man, but this works against him because the reader needs things to be simplified much more. The 8 principles need snappier names to really be memorable for the reader (eg. "The Principle of Perceptual Organization" could be re-named "The Law of Chunking"), and the writing style is a bit flat and not persuasive or energetic. This is a shame, because the concepts really are excellent but readers may not recognize them as excellent when they are presented without pizazz.

PowerPoint: How to Create a Killer Power Point Presentation... in 60 Minutes or Less!
$39.00
Jim Edwards is the master of PowerPoint.

Not only have I (finally) learned the techniques to make great looking PowerPoint presentations - it was also, a quick, easy and straight forward process.

Jim also has the ability to take a PowerPoint pres. and uplevel so it truly looks better than any other standard presentation. And he's a great step-by-step teacher as well!