Recommended Reading
PRESENTATIONS
“Stand and Deliver,” article by Amy Solas on effective fundraising presentations in PE Manager.
Five Steps to Conquer “Death by Powerpoint,”
by Eric Bergman
Our latest favorite. Throw away those assumptions about “the way it’s done” and have a conversation, using visual aids sparingly, with your audience.
Say it with Presentations: How to Design and Deliver Successful Business Presentations, by Gene Zelazny
A terrific companion to Minto by McKinsey’s Director of Visual Communications. Also see Say it with Charts.
Clear and to the Point, by Stephen Kosslyn
Most PowerPoint users ignore the basics of how human beings comprehend and retain information. Here’s what you need to know and how to apply it.
Presentations for Decision Makers, by Marya Holcombe and Judith Stein
A comprehensive guide to all aspects of business presentation development and delivery, incorporating the logic-based approach to presentation writing.
HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations, by Nancy Duarte
Planning your presentation, start to finish.
Guide to Managerial Communication, by Mary Munter
A concise and practical guide to effective business writing and speaking for managers.
Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery, by Garr Reynolds. Also see Presentation Zen Design: Simple Design Principles and Techniques to Enhance Your Presentations.
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information,
by Edward Tufte
Tufte’s books on statistical graphics, charts, and tables are classics and beautifully illustrated. Also see Envisioning Information, Visual Explanations and Beautiful Evidence.
The Short Road to Great Presentations,
by Peter Reimold and Cheryl Reimold
Practical and comprehensive.
Beyond Bullet Points: Using Microsoft PowerPoint to Create Presentations that Inform, Motivate, and Inspire, by Cliff Atkinson
Same concepts as found elsewhere but good for step-by-step instruction on PowerPoint.
LOGICAL THINKING AND COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking and Problem Solving, by Barbara MintoThe comprehensive guide to logic in writing, thinking and problem solving. This powerful methodology is used by consultants and top companies worldwide.
Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman
Brilliant insights into how we form judgments and make choices, based on decades of psychological research, by a Nobel prize winner in economics.
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die,
by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
The art of making ideas memorable. The authors draw extensively on psychosocial studies on memory, emotion and motivation.
Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, by John Medina
A molecular biologist on how the brains works and how we learn. For a quick takeaway on the implications for presenters, see Brain Rules for Presenters by Garr Reynolds.
Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World, by Stuart DiamondWritten by a leading negotiation practitioner and Wharton professor (and our former New York Times colleague), Diamond’s innovative model puts persuasive communication ahead of power.
Multimedia Learning, by Richard E. Mayer
Research on how to use both words and pictures to maximize retention and understanding. Kosslyn draws on Mayer’s work.
REFERENCE
The Gregg Reference Manual: A Manual of Style, Grammar, Usage, and Formatting, by William A. SabinOur go-to style guide at J.P. Morgan and now.
The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr.
This classic reference book is now available online.
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, by William Zinsser
Writing that Works, by Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson