Clear and to the Point August 19, 2008 8 Psychological Principles to Produce Brilliant PowerPoint Presentations (Oxford University Press, $17.95)
PowerPoint presentations have become as much a part of businesses as the cafeteria coffee machine: all companies have them, but not all are the same. Poorly executed PowerPoint presentations are not only a waste of everybody’s time, they actually hurt personnel morale and motivation as well. In Clear and to the Point, author Stephen M. Kosslyn attempts to teach his readers the art of effective PowerPoint presentations.
Kosslyn, a renowned neuroscientist, uses hundreds of sample slides and images to identify common mistakes and poor practices presenters often employ. For example, Kosslyn explains why underlining words for the sake of emphasis is never a good idea (the underline cuts off the bottom of certain letters, such as p's and q's, which delays the brains identification time), why you should state your conclusion at the beginning of your presentation, how to effectively use color and more. If you use PowerPoint presentations on a regular basis, Clear and to the Point will aid you in understanding how people perceive and react to the slides you show them.