Reviews (14)

Not only Beyond Bullet Points...Beyond PowerPoint too!
Caution!The information presented in this book has applications far beyond PowerPoint.If you read this book you may find yourself inspired to think outside of the "text" box.You may think of innovative ways to use this information to become a better salesperson, a better organizer or a better communicator in general.

At least, that was my experience.

I recently used the principles in Cliff's book to organize the 3-year cirriculum for my company's new corporate university.Using the story template ensured that each course was tied to the strategic goals of the company.I just wish I had discovered his book at the beginning of the project!By the way, my "meta-story" template is posted on Cliff's blog at www.beyondbullets.com.Be sure to check it out!

I've also used the story template as a guideline for writing a letter (to convince a client to see something my way) and to structure a talk I gave in church recently.

I'm even convinced that the principles in this book can be used for non-persuasive presentations (i.e. technical training, informative presentations, etc.) and I plan to prove it.I'm working right now on re-vamping several of my technical training classes using this approach.I've written several of the story templates, and I can already see the improvement!

Order the book!Visit the blog!Get ready to change the way you communicate!

Maybe Not
For those wanting the add FX to their PP presentations - this isn't the book.The PP stuff is 101 level.For those looking for a format for their presentations - this offers one.Will it fit all, or even most, circumstances?Not in my experience of coaching business presentations for 20 + years.

Stop putting your audience to sleep!
I can't count the number of boring bullet point presentations I've sat through in my life. Unfortunately, my audiences probably say the same thing! With the help of Cliff Atkinson's Beyond Bullet Points, hopefully my audiences won't have to endure yet another boring bullet point presentation.

If you are looking for a book to teach you PowerPoint or looking to transform yourself into a PowerPoint "power user" look elsewhere. If you want to learn to develop effective presentations that engage your audience and not put them to sleep, Beyond Bullet Points is a great book.

The book presents Cliff Atkinson's three step approach to presentations: Focus, Clarify and Engage. The method is based on story telling with a few twists to compensate for the complex nature of presentations.

Chapter 1 starts with a fictional presentation which the book will transform from a boring bullet pointed presentation to one that engages the audience.

Chapter 2-3 (focus) guides the reader as Cliff describes the process of writing the script for the new presentation.

Chapter 4-6 (clarify) builds upon the previous chapters as the reader is guided through the process of clarifying the presentation's ideas.

Chapter 7 lays out the groundwork to create an engaging script that will certainly bring life to your presentation.

Appendix A summarizes Richard Mayer's excellent research on multimedia learning.

Appendix B discusses Cliff's excellent tool, Beyond Bullet Points Storyboard Formatter.

While PowerPoint is used as the tool in presenting Cliff's idea of storyboarded presentations, the concept is certainly beneficial to anyone that uses alternate tools.

This book has transformed my business
I am a professional speaker and workshop leader. People have always told me I am good. But now I look at my presentations and think, "I cannot believe I used to present this garbage and people responded." The ideas I got from this book have completely transformed my business.

That may sound like a lofty claim but let me explain. I have never met Cliff Atkinson. Didn't know him from "Boo" before a month or two ago. I saw Cliff's book mentioned on a blog I read and began reading some of his posts. They were very useful and had a lot of great ideas. When this book was released, Cliff made an offer to do a makeover on a few presentations so that he could publically show people the results on his blog and in the discussion forum on his book site. When I saw that, I jumped at the chance.

My sales presentation drives the majority of my revenue. Why wouldn't I? If I could make it better, great. If I didn't like the result, I could always stick with what I had been doing.

Like it? Wow! The transformation has been amazing! You can see for yourself. Go to his blog and you can see my entire makeover process or you can see just a few before and afters in some of Cliff's blog posts. Look for Kim's makeover. I think you will agree the difference is truly amazing.

But it didn't stop there. What Cliff is really teaching is a structure for presenting information. Storytelling is one of the most powerful communication tools out there. I was a good story teller - but my stories weren't tight. They were not concise. The Beyond Bullet Point approach gives my audience exactly what they need to keep them interested and answer their questions - no more, no less. It puts you in their shoes.

I took Cliff's story structure and began to apply it in other areas. I have not only put it to work in other presentations, I tried a little experiment. I wrote one of my sixty second radio spots using Act 1 of Cliff's story structure. It began airing this week and right out of the gate it looks like it may be one of the best pulling ads I have ever run.

But it didn't stop there either. I have been working with an ad agency to develop a positioning statement (some would call it a tag line) and a jingle. We had been going back and forth on the positioning statement. Nothing popped. After I finished the story template I used for the sixty second spot, I sent it over to the creative guy at the ad agency and we instantly knew we had a positioning statement. It came naturally right out of Cliff's story structure.

So that is my story. I have never posted a review on Amazon before. I am an avid reader but I have no time to post reviews. For this book, I made time. I give this book my highest recommendation, which I will also do to readers of my newsletters and blog. I hope it is as powerful for you as it was for me.

This book teaches some essential writing skills!
This book is the most pragmatic book on developing presentations, not just PowerPoint presos. It borrows from the craft of Hollywood that knows how to capture our attention, keep us entertained and influence us in more ways than we realize. The book is based on proven techniques used by the greatest storytellers for centuries and the author has boiled this down into a few principles that are easy to remember and use.

I have already employed the techniques and I see a huge difference; my colleagues say so! Get this book and you will be guided to think a lot more critically about your audience, your message and more importantly your desired outcome. The Word template provided at the author's website is an awesome power tool, once you understand the concepts. ... Read more

Book Description

This text presents balanced treatment of both the theory and applications of managerial communication.Content includes strong coverage of ethics, cross-cultural communication and the newest technological influences in communication.Unique, practical chapters on visual support of written and oral presentations are provided in addition to coverage on how to write and deliver a case analysis, meeting management, and report writing.Strong integrated coverage of technology continues throughout this edition.While communication concepts remain largely the same -- the technology that is used to communicate has changed and these changes are reflected in the fifth edition.Coverage of listening skills, intercultural communication, e-plagiarism, developing PowerPoint presentations, and writing instructions has been extensively enhanced. ... Read more

Book Description

Organize a powerful, effective business presentation and deliver it with style! Say it with Presentations helps you define why you're giving the presentation and the audience you need to convince. This compelling, comprehensive presentation toolkit tells you when, why, and how to use humor, and, yes, silence to get your points across...how to make the most of visuals...set up facilities and equipment...and rehearse to communicate your confidence, conviction and enthusiasm, and much, much more.

Reviews (6)

Not With It
This book is more in tune with older thought on delivering presentations than it is with today. I also found the hand drawings of trying to make putting winning graphics together as child's play somewhat silly. There are many other better books out there, such as "Presentation Skills for Managers" that are more in tune with the times, and less like treating the reader as a child. I found Mr. Zelazny's other book "Say It With Charts" to be more useful.

Successful Presentations
This book is the best and gave me valuable tips to make effective presentation. Knowing how to communicate effectively, I can improve my teaching style. When I translate text pages into a brief presentation visual, my creativity enhance.

Reccomend highly
If you have to do presentations, chances are you don't have much time to wade through literature about how. Many books exist on the subject; this has got to be one of the best - covers basically all you need to know about How and Why rather than What. Zelazny helps the reader to find his/her own way, which is ultimately better than being spoon fed as in the disappointingly dry "McGraw-Hill One Day Workshop on Presentation Skills"

Buy this book if you rely on giving presentations for your job. Even if you are facing a one-off crisis presentation, this book can be read fast enough to offer concrete help immediately.

Oh - it's fun an humorous too. But a bit expensive.

Useful, but just for beginners
I am a strategic consultant and I founded the book too simple. It is highly recomended (together with "Say it with charts") if you are brand new in a consultancy firm or, because of your job, you occasionally have to do professional presentations and you want to acquire a basic methodology. It is a good book for starters, but presentations is kind of an art and it is a skill difficult to get.

Real help for you, the presenter
Say It With Presentations steps beyond the "How to give a speech" story of its peers. Gene shows us what works, why it works, and, most importantly, how we can all make it work. I have not seen a better book for giving business presentations than this and don't expect to find one.

The secret is simplicity.

Following his own advice, Gene makes the book simple and has simple examples and arguments for ideas that are soooooo tempting to complicate.

This is not a book to read. It is a manual to review, a guide to follow, a resource for self help, and a reminder of the rights of the audience.

Most importantly, it is fun to refer back to constantly both before and after presentations. ... Read more

Book Description

A detailed blueprint for planning and executing special events with flair—and without unexpected surprises and expenses

Special events such as fundraising galas, conferences, and product launches are complicated, fraught with thousands of details, and have to come off without a hitch. This book gives readers practical advice on every aspect of organizing and managing special events, such as how to choose the best venue; preparing and managing the budget; scheduling; coordinating food and beverages; selecting decor, themes, and entertainment; media; and staffing.

Includes many forms, checklists, and tips for planning and managing events

• Features examples of events where things went right—and wrong
• Provides techniques to maximize savings and avoid surprises

Judy Allen (Toronto, Ontario) is President of Judy Allen Productions, a full-service event planning production company that designs, produces, and orchestrates special events worldwide. She is a speaker at industry conferences and a contributor to such publications as Meeting and Incentive Travel magazine and Toronto Special Events. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Live & Learn
As a spokesperson for a national woman's interest group, I now understand why taking my potential contributors to a gentlemen's club might have been a faux pas.

All inclusive Event Planning
Having planned many events in the past six years, I already had a great "base" of experience. I was looking for a great guide to cover all the bases. This is it! Each chapter details all aspects of event planning and prompts you to think about how you can apply the suggestions to your own events. I was inspired to think outside the box to make events more unique and memorable. Additionally, budgeting and proposal crafting were discussed to aid the event planner in making a succinct and accurate budget/proposal for a client. This book is a "must-have" for any serious event planner.

Movie Stars and Presidents
I thought this book was much to focused on "major" events. After the first couple of chapters I really felt that the book was focused on setting up elaborate events for VIP's. If you have a very high budget and need to entertain celebrities, then this book will be helpful.

Great read and reference for any type of event planner.
Even a seasoned event planner will enjoy the insights that Judy helps to reveal in her book. It is well layed out, even to the point of leading off with location first, which every event planner knows is the number one step in planning. The steps and points of looking for a location,includes detailed information on what to consider when looking. I particulary like the fact Judy includes using her website, which offers additional advice and insight based on her own experinces. I was hoping to read more regarding contracts but overall the book is A+.

A great find!
Judy turns what could have been a rather dry subject into one that is filled with lively stories and money and time saving tips! It's easy to read and for a beginner (which I am) she brought up numerous "thought provoking" questions, I'd never even thought of! Even seasoned event planners will gain a lot from this book-reminding all of the basic principles of "an ounce of prevention". This book is well laid out and flows easily-following a time-line that one must follow to pull off a successful event. I especially enjoyed the stories and tips.

All in all, I'd give this book a true "thumbs up". I will recommend it to anyone I know who is looking to engage in an event which will be long remembered. ... Read more

Book Description

Step-by-step guide to creating compelling, memorable presentations

A chart that once took ten hours to prepare can now be produced by anyone with ten minutes and a computer keyboard. What hasn't changed, however, are the basics behind creating a powerful visual - what to say, why to say it, and how to say it for the most impact. In Say It With Charts, Fourth Edition --the latest, cutting-edge edition of his best-selling presentation guide -- Gene Zelazny reveals time-tested tips for preparing effective presentations. Then, this presentation guru shows you how to combine those tips with today's hottest technologies for sharper, stronger visuals. Look to this comprehensive presentation encyclopedia for information on:

* How to prepare different types of charts -- pie, bar, column, line, or dot -- and when to use each
* Lettering size, color choice, appropriate chart types, and more
* Techniques for producing dramatic eVisuals using animation, scanned images, sound, video, and links to pertinent websites ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Good Little Book With Many Useful Ideas.
If you're interested in getting ideas on how to present ideas graphically, this is a good little book. As many other reviewers have pointed out, several of the articles were prepared by graphic designers (some by hand in fact) and not computer graphics packages. If you're looking for suggestions on how to present ideas graphically, this is perfectly fine,... even useful. However, if you're looking for information on how to prepare graphics using Excel, you're out of luck (however, there are dozens of other books that can help you). That's just not what this books is about. Instead, the book gives you several suggestions for expressing the relationship between various activities (flow charts, diagrams, etc) illustrating performance timelines (bar graphs, area graphs, etc), and other information. However, where this book really shines, is in showing you how to incorporate various illustrations into your graphics to make them truly unique and informative. The benefit of this book is in teaching you how to conceptialize and develop unique graphics -- not in telling you how to produce generic off-the-shelf graphics. I'd recommend this book, along with "Information Graphics" by Harris and "Digital Diagrams" by Bounford, to anyone interested in learning more about charts. Overall Grade: B+/A-

Great ideas
This book is a good arsenal to every executive who need to communicate in the form of charts. It opens up the minds to possibilities beyond cut and paste from Excel.

However I do agree with one of the reviewer that most of the charts in the books are drawn by graphic designers. This mean that although we can learn the most appropriate chart to use from the book, the is no way of making those charts with our basic computer software.

The message in the book is clear; great charts are more of science than arts.

helpful - nothing more need be said
Full disclosure - I used to work at IBM and as an entry level consultant with an MBA there the first thing you are is the .ppt whipping post. That being said, the IBM training program covers many of the concepts from this book. Why?? Simple, they work. Is it the be all and end all? No. The only thing that can help you assemble good content is practice, practice, practice - with a healthy dose of constructive criticism from someone that knows what they are talking about. I just got through a days worth of presentations last Friday to one of the most senior technology people at a major government agency. All I can say is that I really, really, really wish that the people presenting before and after me had taken 5 mintues to review this book before getting in front of that crowd - it would have prevented some spectacular flamouts.

Dissapointing
They have better charts in Excel templates.

Good for reference
I have to agree with one reviewer that the presentation of the information throughout some of "Say it with Charts" was a little childish. However, I found the reference pages to be quite valuable for helping you think outside the box of the types of charts and graphics that you put together to represent the message. ... Read more

Download Description

In Presenting to Win: Persuading Your Audience Every Time, the world's #1 presentation consultant shows how to connect with even the toughest, most high-level audiences--and move them to action. Jerry Weissman shows presenters of all kinds how to dump tho ... Read more

Reviews (13)

It's really presenting to win
You may be a skilled presentator, but your so called "support material" may be working against you. I give presentations almost every day since I work as a consultant and the audience response is better since I started following the book's advise. The book's writting is easy to understand and can be read very fast. The advice the author gives is easy to follow and it translates into achievements in real life. This book should be required reading for everybody in college, I'm giving it to the personnel under me as required reading. It's a great book. It has some typos and as verything it could be improved, but it's a great book.

The real story in presenting
I teach courses in business writing, including lessons on presentations. When students ask for good books to continue learning, this is the book I recommend for presentations. I also suggest that it will help them with all of their communications at work. The ideas in the book are simple yet powerful. For example, the most important communications we do at work is convincing others, and a powerful way to do that is to tell them a story. It is fundamental human nature that storytelling awakens, relaxes, and engages those who are listening.

Unfortunately, the editing and packaging of the book are not as well done as is the presentation of the main ideas. The author has had one audience for years: entrepreneurs who are trying to convince bankers to back their IPOs. The publisher tried to take his ideas and make them applicable and accessible to all business people everywhere. They did not quite succeed, for a variety of reasons.

The text uses vocabulary and figures of speech that exclude those who are not older, male, American, entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. It uses basic words (graphics, verbal) in ways I found confusing. It has errors in grammar and punctuation, as well as inconsistent ways of presenting material. The book includes an unnecessary color insert. The end of the book received much less editorial attention than did the beginning of the book. As I read the first parts of the book, I was usually smiling and saying, "Ah hah!" As I read the latter parts of the book I found myself occasionally frowning and asking, "Huh?" And the whole book is replete with intrusive "sideboxes" that repeat parts of the text. I find this distracting and insulting. I know publishers love them, but I think their reasons for using them have more to do with "doing what everyone else is doing" than with proven efficacy for the intended audience. Overall I would say it's an adequate first draft of an excellent book.

The usefulness of the ideas in this book almost justifies giving it a rating of 5 stars. The price is good, too. But an adjustment is necessary due to the audience bias, lackluster editing, and obtuse publishing. Despite all this, it is a very useful book on real-world business communication.

Real information you can use!
I purchased this book after the executives of my company raved about Jerry Weissman's work in helping them prepare for our IPO. Unlike many other books on this topic, I found it to be very useful because it provided a framework that was simple yet creative. The real-world examples he uses are great and they make it a more interesting read for those of us who enjoy learning more about the techniques used by successful people. Jerry is starting to conduct public seminars in the Bay Area but if you can't make it to a seminar, the book is a great alternative.

Packed with Knowledge!
The lessons in this excellent book should be studied and applied by everyone who has to give presentations. In terms of audience connection and persuasive technique, Abe Lincoln must have known everything here (except, perhaps, the details of PowerPoint). And that's good, because you don't need anything new or fancy to give a great presentation, you just need a message and clear instructions on how to deliver it - so, here they are. The book is cleanly written with pop-out boxes, sample graphics and corporate examples. Anyone who ignores its powerful basic rules will fail at presenting. Failure means boring the audience and leaving them unconvinced and unwilling to hear more. This is your cure for those blues. The book's flaw is the author's tedious self-promotion, but he's a former TV guy, so what the heck do you expect? The bottom line, we attest, is that what he says, you need to know.

It seems having no typos isn't one of the deadly sins
Its a good book, but full of typos. Excessive typos creates will a subconscious skepticism of the credibility of the author while reading. It's ironic that a book on effective presentation contains so many typos, I would say more than I can will remember from any book at from a major publisher.

(The typos above were intended.) ... Read more

Book Description

A proven program for turning effective listening into a powerful business tool Managers and other employees spend more than 40 percent of their time listening to other people but often do it so poorly that the result is misunderstood instructions, misdirected projects, and erroneous actions—millions of dollars’ worth of mistakes just because most people don’t know how to listen. In this new edition of her classic guide to the art of effective listening, Madelyn Burley-Allen shows you how to acquire active, productive listening skills and put them to work for you—professionally, socially, and personally. With her time-tested techniques, you’ll learn how to:

• Eliminate distractions and improve your concentration on what is being said
• Locate key words, phrases, and ideas while listening
• Cut through your own listening biases
• Interpret body language clues
• Ask constructive, nonthreatening questions that elicit real information
• Get others to listen to you
• Master a whole range of listening skills that you can use on the job and in your personal life

Reviews (6)

A Good Guide
An easy to understand and implement guide to the art of listening. Some great advice and I recommend this book to anyone interested in improving their listening skills.

Excellent reference and guide
This book is written mainly for the business audience, but all the principles are applicable to every situation. The author is very good at explaining scenarios and solutions. Other authors spend the bulk of their time explaining why we need to listen, but Burley-Allen spends the bulk of her time explaining how to listen. That alone places this book on a more productive plane than most books on this topic. You'll be impressed with how things change in your inter-personal communication at work and at home with the adoption of even a few principles from this book.

What good is listening, if it's not effective?
With this exciting new Millenieum upon us, most all of us have had classes, lectures, and read books on expressing ourselves more effectively, public speaking and the list goes on. The problem now is "No One is Listening." Madelyn Burley-Allen's book Listening the Forgotten Skill is the perfect tool for helping us get back to the true meaning of listening. What good is all of this teaching, until you are taught how to listen. With this book you are taught how to communicate effectively and listen effectively as well. This is an excellent book for improving your lifestyle through listening.

Listening the Forgotten Skill-Something for Everyone
I just recently read this book, and was amazed at what I needed to learn, for professional and personal reasons. This book shows you areas where people, businesses and organizations are lacking in communication skills due to the fact that we don't listen and we are not being heard. In this book, the Author Madelyn Burley-Allen, with her years of research and teaching on this subject, she gives you ways of improving your listening communication skills as well as how to speak effectively so that you are listened to. This book provides vital solutions for improving your listening and communication skills. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is very informative and helpful and will continuely be a source of information in the future.

Great Book
I strongly recommend this book. To be quite honest I just fell in love with this book, it tought me things that I never knew about myself.

I've heard all this time and never really took the time to listen.Now, I understand what listening is and how it helped me enchance my abilities to communicate better and better. Everyone should read this book, great asset.

I have met Ms.Madelyn Burley-Allen and she is quite a charming lady. You learn when she speaks. ... Read more

Book Description

Why is the gap so great between our hopes, our intentions, even our decisions-and what we are actually able to bring about? Even when we are able to make important changes-in our own lives or the groups we lead at work-why are the changes are so frequently short-lived and we are soon back to business as usual? What can we do to transform this troubling reality?

In this intensely practical book, Harvard psychologists Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey take us on a carefully guided journey designed to help us answer these very questions. And not just generally, or in the abstract. They help each of us arrive at our own particular answers that can solve the puzzling gap between what we intend and what we are able to accomplish. How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work provides you with the tools to create a powerful new build-it-yourself mental technology.

... Read more

Reviews (5)

Superb treatment of the subject
The authors do a wonderful job of tying the science of languages and communication to the business of work and life. Filled with great examples from the world, it is easy to understand and digest.

Recommend also: "The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills" (Ponder) and "7 Habits" (Covey)

Like a mirror to see yourself in
This book does for business leaders and their teams what the 7 Habits (Covey) did for individuals back in the 90s, but it goes a step forward: it's packed with case studies. I won't add to the discussion about the Seven Languages for Transformation, since my fellow reviewers have already gone into extensive detail about them. The key concept that the book left me was the idea of diving into conflicts to have them "solve" you, as opposed to running away from them or trying to solve them. The basis for this idea has to do with the learning opportunities that a conflict has to offer, and the opportunities of self-discovery to dig out blatant inconsistencies between what we say we care about and what our language and actions actually shows.

Overall, the book is a very easy read, whether you do it in order to seriously implement its suggested methodology (and it is one serious set of ideas it carries) or just as a mirror to help you laugh at your so-called professional commitments.

Basic psychology for business people
Did you ever hear of something called "secondary gain"?

"Secondary gain" is the "hidden", possibly unconscious, reason why a person acts in a way that may, to an external observer, appear to be self-defeating. For example, Joe Bloggs frequently, and apparently sincerely, expresses a desire to lose weight - but he never does.
Why?
Because Joe has an unspoken belief that he will be safe from mugging so long as he looks big enough to wrestle a bull.

This isn't exactly rocket science. The genius of this book is that Kegan and Lahey have taken the "secondary gain" principle and repackaged it (without the usual psycho-babble) in a way that, hopefully, will appeal to the business community at large.

To this end they have developed a means by which people can quickly and easily - if they are willing - uncover what the authors call the "competing commitment" that undermines a person's declared commitment in a given situation.

For example, manager Fred Katz has the declared commitment of empowering his subordinates. Yet he briefs his people on a strictly "need to know" basis (and of course only Fred knows what his people "need" to know).

Using Kegan and Lahey's approach, described in detail in this book, Fred might discover that he has a competing commitment to gain promotion by demonstrating his indispensability. This he can only achieve, as he sees it, by keeping his people dependent on him as the one person in the department who has access to the "big picture".

Will this self-knowledge guarantee that Fred changes his behaviour?
Not necessarily. But at least he has a better understanding of his situation and is in a position to look for ways of achieving *both* commitments (empowerment AND promotion) in a constructive and non-conflicting manner.

Along with the main thrust of the book, the authors make a number of observations that are absolutely key elements of better management skills, including:

- sometimes it's better to let a problem ride, giving yourself a chance to learn from it, rather than trying to "fix" every little blip the moment it appears
- "The changing that people do because others make them costs an organisation a very dear price and is much shorter lived than the changing people do because they have first changed their minds"

This is a book that EVERY manager can benefit from reading, even those who think they have already achieved optimum performance.

My one criticism of the book - the reason why I have only given it four stars - is that flow of the text is regularly interrupted by lapses into poor grammar and sentence construction. And this despite, one assumes, the attentions of a professional editor.
How, for example, did this paragraph ever get into print?:

"But how exactly might we further creating and practicing this language in real life work (as opposed to merely illustrating it)?"

And a few lines later:

"Whatever salable [sic] product they have produced ..."

Surely even a basic scan of the text with a decent spelling/grammar checker would have been sufficient to pick up items like this?

Tools for removing Roadblocks to change
As author of the book "The evolving Self", Kegan is amongst the select few that have written about life's transformations. He really figured out how and why people are "committed" to resist change. Now Kegan offers tools to "transform" from one level to the next. Most of the time, when confronted to change, a little voice inside us will tell us why not the change. According to Kegan & Lahey, this voice speaks with 7 tongues. One could even say that these "voices" make us immune to change. Luckily, for each of the 7 languages, this book offers a powerful antidote.

What I like about the book is that it's practical. It includes exercises and models that you can apply in your day to day practice. As such I recommend it to people who want to get through a transformational stage themselves (as a how-to book) or who want to help others.

What I regretted is that there in no reference section nor any footnotes (contrary to Kegan's other excellent books). In other words, this book makes it seem that the authors "invented" all this, while there are several other books (including my own) that offer solutions to several of the roadblocks mentioned here. To make the reader aware that there are other books helping to get through roadblocks, I especially want to mention Donald Mitchell's "The 2,000 percent solution", which is more practical for a business context. But to be fair, this book also includes some new material I haven't seen elsewhere.

Recommended!

Patrick E.C. Merlevede - author of "7 Steps to Emotional intelligence"

Seven International "Languages"
Kegan and Lahey explain that their book "is about the possibility of extraordinary change in individuals and organizations. It locates an unexpected source of boundless energy to bring these changes into being" and then assert that "if we want deeper understanding of the prospect of change, we must pay closer attention to our own powerful inclinations not [italics] to change. This attention may help us discover within ourselves the force and beauty of a hidden immune system, the dynamic process by which we tend to prevent change, by which we manufacture continuously the antigens of change." I am convinced that most human limits are self-imposed...that in Pogo's words, "We have met the enemy and he is us." The authors do indeed focus on what they call "an unexpected source of boundless energy" which significant change requires.

Throughout the book, they examine what they call "Seven Languages for Transformation" and suggest how to gain fluency in each. Four are Internal Languages: Commitment, Personal Responsibility, Competing Commitments ("Diagnosing the Immunity to Change"), and Assumptions We Hold ("Disturbing the Immunity to Change"). Fluency in these four enables us to build "The New Machine." There are also three Social Languages: Ongoing Regard, Public Agreement, and Deconstructive Criticism. Fluency in these three enables us to maintain and upgrade "The New Machine."

It is important to keep in mind that we communicate with others as well as with ourselves in three primary ways: body language, tone of voice, and content (ie what we verbalize). Decades of scientific research reveals that, in face-to-face contact, body language has the greatest impact, followed (at a significant distance) by tone of voice and then content. In voice-to-voice contact (eg during a telephone conversation), tone of voice has perhaps three times greater impact than does what is verbalized. I mention all this by way of suggesting that HOW we communicate with others and (especially) with ourselves has a major impact on behavior. Hence the importance of replacing a negative attitude. with a positive attitude. For example, to replace the Language of Complaint with the Language of Commitment.

What the authors provide is a cohesive and comprehensive process by which to recognize, understand, and then eliminate various barriers to personal and then to organizational change. In recent years, organizations throughout the world have invested hundreds of millions (billions?) of dollars in the improvement of systems of various kinds. What is sometimes overlooked or at least underestimated (at great cost in terms of hours as well as dollars) are the negative attitudes of those involved in change initiatives. Kegan and Lahey eloquently and convincingly suggest specific strategies to transform those attitudes through fluency in seven "languages" within the curriculum of what they view as a "new technology" of learning. Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out O'Toole's Leading Change and Senge's The Dance of Change. ... Read more

Book Description

Open Space Technology: A User's Guide is just what the nameimplies: a hands-on, detailed description of facilitating Open SpaceTechnology (OST). Written by the originator of the method-an effective,economical, fast, and easily-repeatable strategy for organizingmeetings of between 5 and 1,000 participants-this is the first book todocument the rationale, procedures, and requirements of OST.OSTenables self-organizing groups of all sizes to deal with hugely complexissues in a very short period of time. This practical, step-by-stepuser's guide details what needs to be done before, during, and after anOpen Space event. 1

Owen begins by detailing all the practicalconsiderations necessary to create Open Space. He begins with the mostimportant question-should you do Open Space at all-and examines whattypes of situations are appropriate for Open Space Technology and whattypes are not. He goes on to look at nuts-and-bolts issues such assupplies, logistics, and who should come and how you should go aboutgetting them there. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

One of the most valuable books in the world
As Brookings revealed in 2000, most of the world's 10000 biggest organisations don't yet have the measures to govern the vast majority of value now produced in services and knowledge businesses because as our networking age blossoms value dynamics are mainly intangible, deeply woven into the human relationships we self-organise, not for precise planning and overpowering command and control from the top. Value multiplication is a core gravity which should be embedded in everyone's right to work, learn , behave openly.

Whilst some of those of the transparency communities interlinking at http://www.valuetrue.com open source the simplest maths of intangible systems, others have much more fun voting on what are the safest methods to protect your system from doing an Andersen or a NASA self-destruction of its greatest purpose. Open Space is voted as the number 1 method uniting transparency communities, and because of its simplicity I predict it will always be the gateway to anyone who prizes self-organising, a term which actually means making the most of everyone's time, learning and passions to make a diffeernce to our overall purpose. A very valuable book, which in my dreams would start any MBA course or any professional's training.

Open Space is now 21 years young and over 100000 experiences mature and networked by people who are both most open with their knowlhow and conscious that you learn something subly more about human relationship trust from every Open Space you particpate in. It is as near as organisations (seen as human relationship infrastructures) can get to a modern day miracle, and long may Harrison light up the open world. See his latest deep concerns with conflict resolution applications at http://www.practiceofpeace.com

a "How to" book
I recommend using open space tehcnology and/or other large scale intervention techniques to mine the collective emotional intelligence of a group of people (this may be your company, or people from an acadamic field you belong to).

This book gives you the details on HOW to organize and facilitate an open space meeting - (what kind of location you need, how to organize the room, how to use break up rooms, how to facilitate, ...). You'll also get imporatnt rules and lessons for making this technology work. In short, it's pretty good at doing this "HOW TO" part.

WARNING: If you want to know WHY it works and if you want some examples, there are 2 other books to take a look at:

- tales from Open space (Harrison Owen, Editor, 1995)

- Expanding our now (Harrison Owen, 1997)

Good luck!

Patrick E.C. Merlevede, MSc -- author of "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence"

A Good Read!
Harrison Owen presents a hands-on, step-by-step manual for putting on an open space technology workshop. In OST workshops, participants basically set and facilitate the agenda with some guidance from a facilitator. Here, the book's examples are particularly handy. Owen suggests conference duration, agenda and techniques including how to set up a meeting, invite participants, prepare the logistics and meeting site, facilitate activities and more. While these workshops generally involve hundreds of people, you can also put on an OST event with as few as five. If you want to read gripping business philosophy, look elsewhere - this is a practical how-to manual, a task it accomplishes quite well. We [...] recommend this informative guided tour of the OST process to those who want to know how, because they already know why

A Journey *Not* for the Faint of Heart
When I particpated in my first Open Space, a friend told me to trust the process. At first glance, Open Space seems not to make a lick of sense or too "airy fairy" to work. Its a powerful process I've used this book as a guide to help me facilitate many Open Space sessions.

I highly recommend this book if you want to facilite Open Space---it provides many good ideas for before, during and after the session, covers when and when not to use Open Space, and gives the would-be facilitor the mind- and heart-set to facilitate Open Space well. I would not recommend faciltiating Open Space without first experiencing it.

I've used Open Space with churches, as a partnership-building experience, in organizational change, and in forming national government programs---in the right hands and at the right time, Open Space is a powerful process---this book gives you tools to facilitate it. Use it wisely and well!

A must have for facilitators
Harrison Owen, the creator of the facilitation concept of "open space", has written a fabulous user guide for anyone wishing to attempt this process. Not only does he outline in detail the nitty-gritty of effectively running a one to three day conference using this technique, but he also describes his own experience utilizing "open space". His stories are truly inspiring and do an excellent job of demonstrating the power of this method. I was especially impressed by the way he drew on several native american and west african philosophies to shape aspects of the facilitation.

Having participated in open space workshops, I had a good grasp of the idea and could easily picture what he described. For others who have not yet had that experience, reading another of his books, Tales from Open Space, might also be useful as it goes into more historical detail of the evolution of Owen's work and gives additional anecdotes. ... Read more

Book Description

Casey McDaniel had never been so nervous in his life. 

 In just ten minutes, The Meeting, as it would forever be known, would begin.  Casey had every reason to believe that his performance over the next two hours would determine the fate of his career, his financial future, and the company he had built from scratch.

 “How could my life have unraveled so quickly?” he wondered.

 In his latest page-turning work of business fiction, best-selling author Patrick Lencioni provides readers with another powerful and thought-provoking book, this one centered around a cure for the most painful yet underestimated problem of modern business: bad meetings.  And what he suggests is both simple and revolutionary.

 Casey McDaniel, the founder and CEO of Yip Software, is in the midst of a problem he created, but one he doesn’t know how to solve.  And he doesn’t know where or who to turn to for advice.  His staff can’t help him; they’re as dumbfounded as he is by their tortuous meetings. 

Then an unlikely advisor, Will Peterson, enters Casey’s world.  When he proposes an unconventional, even radical, approach to solving the meeting problem, Casey is just desperate enough to listen. 

 As in his other books, Lencioni provides a framework for his groundbreaking model, and makes it applicable to the real world.  Death by Meeting is nothing short of a blueprint for leaders who want to eliminate waste and frustration among their teams, and create environments of engagement and passion.  ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Good anecdotal advice, but targeted at upper management
Both the format and the content of this book made it highly enjoyable. Normally, even reading about meetings is enough to put me to sleep, but this book has a great running story about introducing change to the meetings of an executive team. By the end of the book, the author has some excellent specific tips on the types of meetings to call, how often to call them, and what to expect to get from them. As he points out, the impact meeting effectiveness has on team morale can't be overstated.

The only thing I might ding the book on is that it's really about the meetings that high-level folks have, and the practical advice is somewhat less applicable to minion-type people. For instance, while the different types of meetings make sense, the frequencies don't -- I would argue that his "quarterly off-site reviews" are better translated as "end of milestone reviews" the "monthly strategic"s are completely transformed because people at a lower level usually only own a few issues at a given time, so it makes more sense for all of those meetings to be ad-hoc and around closing a single topic rather than being regular and on the most important bubbled-up topics of the day.

Still, a very valuable book and well worth an afternoon's read, even by low-level developer types like myself.

One of the 5 Most Valuable Business Books I've Ever Read
We spend incredible amounts of time in meetings and so few are remotely productive. As the CEO, you know that your team has to have meetings, but you search for opportunities to cancel one and let your team focus on other things that you know will be a lot more productive. Until Now...

This book turned my whole view of meetings upside down and gave me a simple, clear plan for managing meetings going forward. We just implemented the changes and everyone on my team loves the new way we do meetings. My entire team now swears by this meeting format and approach.

Pat's plan is so simple and makes so much common sense, you start to wonder why no one was running their meetings this way before. I'm going to give this book to my best business contacts, because I know that this will be one of the best gifts that they have ever received.

Compelling title, interesting parable, weak close
The title is provocative and will probably sell books. The parable of a software game firm in Monterey struggling with ineffective meetings makes for a reasonably readable, well-scripted (except for "our data is inconclusive." p. 184) and intriguing story. "Death" has the air of "Disclosure" without the sex, as Yip Software allows itself to be taken over (cashing in -- a decision that probably warrants more attention than do the other matters in the book) and then scrutinized by a bigger firm. There is a late twist in the seemingly diabolic machinations of the larger firm and the catalyst to the correction in team decision making is imbued with a needless obsessive-compulsive, Tourette-like malady that allows him to have a psychological excuse -- when he is off his meds - to speak up at the meetings.

The parable reads well enough and early on reminded me of John Cleese's marvelous training film, "Meetings, bloody meetings." The original video was so good when it was made almost thirty years ago that Video Arts updated it -- with almost the exact same script and several of the same actors-- ten years ago. "Death" is more current. But Cleese in both versions got it right, better, and funnier than Lencioni. He viewed team meetings as akin to a court proceeding or a trial. The analogy worked.

Effective meetings need critical thinking, not groupthink. The Senate report on the CIA is only the most recent example of no one taking a critical stance as partial information and unreliable data accumulate. But conflict does not seem to be the appropriate remedy for premature or inappropriate consensus. Lencioni is right: Real consensus is difficult if not impossible. But constructive critical thinking is better than conflict (or obsessives off their meds) to make a meeting effective and "interesting". Getting people to feel passionate about their work and their firm is important yet passion does not come from interesting meetings, picnics or stock vesting plans. The passion needs to come from somewhere else.

Cleese's film emphasizes the need to prepare and inform in a way that Lencioni apparently rejects for weekly "tactical" meetings: No agenda, says Lencioni. Lencioni uses an imaginative Holloywood metaphor to illustrate different types of meetings -- there are sitcoms, movies and miniseries parallels for meetings -- but this doesn't really work out for me in the end. The parable comes to an abrupt end and then Lencioni moves to a more formal, structured teaching style and my interest that had been waning disappeared.

I prefer "Death by chocolate" myself.

Enjoyable and Inspiring
I found this book very inspiring. The fable style really makes reading enjoyable. Simple example in daily life.

A Good Read!
Continuing the current hot trend of couching business counsel in fables, author Patrick Lencioni takes on the ogre of the deadly dull meeting and through story and advice, wrestles it to the ground. The book is in large part about boring meetings and the author manages to reproduce their tone exactly. The protagonists are the boss, Casey, and an employee named Will who eventually loses his temper in the face of one more stifling, useless meeting. The author plants lessons about meetings throughout the story, revealed by the characters' experiences. However, after the fable comes an undiluted section of advice: about 40 pages of straightforward, expository prose about how to have more effective, engaging meetings. If you want useful workday advice and prefer to save fairytales - even those with built-in lessons - for bedtime, start there. We welcome this solid guidance on how to make meetings work better. ... Read more

Book Description

Introducing a clear path toward event excellence
A comprehensive guide to essential competencies for event coordinators
Professional Event Coordination examines the full event planning process and provides the tools and strategies to effectively procure, organize, implement, and monitor all the products, services, and service providers that will bring an event to life. After establishing each layer of the anatomy of an event, this in-depth guide covers:
* Event design
* Project management techniques
* Site selection and development
* Infrastructure services
* Entertainment possibilities
* Food and beverage options
* Safety and security
* Inviting attendees
In addition to dozens of checklists, tables, and figures, this complete guidebook is enhanced with On-Site Insights (real-world examples), Technology Tips, and Exercises in Professional Event Coordination (reinforcement exercises that help in preparation for the CSEP certification exam).
A versatile tool that is effective for all types of events-for small functions with ten guests to major festivals with 10,000 attendees-Professional Event Coordination is a valuable book for every professional who works events, including event managers, caterers, event planners, and hotel and food and beverage managers.
The Wiley Event Management Series-Series Editor, Dr. Joe Goldblatt, CSEP
The Wiley Event Management Series provides professionals with the essential knowledge and cutting-edge tools they need to excel in one of the most exciting and rapidly growing sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry. Written by recognized experts in the field, the volumes in the series cover the research, design, planning, coordination, and evaluation methods as well as specialized areas of event management. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Would that all business presentations could be made as succinctly andstylishly as this nifty little 72-page thumbnail guide. It makes its own points,starting with presentation preparation (knowing your audience, location andpurpose; finding, structuring, and writing your material; and using audio-visualaides, and rehearsing), then covering self-preparation (improving yourappearance, body image, and voice, and eliminating tension), delivery (speakingconfidently, and closing effectively), and handling an audience (judging themood, fielding questions, and coping with hostility, should it arise). On everypage, boxed tips, crisp graphics, mini case studies, sample material, and handychecklists make the whole process clear and easy to follow. Granted, if you'relooking for very specific or in-depth guidance, you might find this book toocursory and general in its approach. But, if you're looking for a thumbnailguide to the basics, it'll do just fine.

It's worth mentioning that the book is part of the "Essential Managers" seriesby reference publisher Dorling-Kindersley--a series comprising 20 itty-bittybooks on business and career topics that range from communication, leadership,and decision-making to the management of time, budgets, change, meetings,people, projects, and teams. Combining the talent of the "For Dummies" bookseries for breaking down a lot of information into bite-sized bits and sidebarswith Dorling-Kindersley's signature design style of crisp, classy graphics on agleaming white backdrop, the books don't represent the cutting edge of businessthinking or reflect necessarily any unique individual perspective. Instead, it'sas if someone had collated the best general thinking on these 20 topics, androlled them out into 72 brightly designed and easy-to-read pages--studded alongthe way with boxed tips, color shots of a multiracial cast of "coworkers"animatedly hashing through the workplace issues of the day, and, on the last fewpages of each volume, a self-test of one's skills in the topic at hand. Again,they're not for anyone who's looking for more in-depth or focused help on any ofthe covered subjects, but they're perfect as a quick general-interest reference;and, let's face it, they're so damn cute, and look so smart in a neat littlestack or row, that probably you'll want to buy a whole bunch to give as gifts toyour entire staff or department. --Timothy Murphy ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Do I have to?
I would much rather have someone else give the presentation, to be quite honest. So, I am giving this book to my husband. I thought the information in the book was practical and it enourages preparation. There is a section on how to reduce your fears of speaking in public.

Knowing your audience, dealing with logistics, knowing your location, clarifying objectives, finding material, structuring material, writing a presentation, using audio-visual aids, rehearsing, preparing yourself and enhancing your body image are all good points. The avoiding bad habits section was especially good. I mean, if you stand in front of the baord, who can see it? If you slouch, it looks unprofessional.

It all sounds so complicated...can't we just all head for the beach. ;> But seriously, this is a fun book filled with basic information for those who have to make presentations to keep others informed about business decisions.

Things I learned in Architecture School & The Military
This books isn't a bad purchase for the price...it's a low cost, handy reference. It is worth the cover price, but most of what it teaches, I have already learned through attending that High Priced University and by joining the Military (Death by Power Point!) I guess it always helps to have a refresher course, and something to refer to in a tight spot. Design, remembering your audience, and how to speak in front of people...maybe I could have saved the college tuition if I had this book 10 years ago! Enjoy it when you get your copy! ... Read more

Book Description

Never Be Boring Again is unlike any other book on speaking skills. It teaches a breakthrough method that can help you make dynamic business presentations in front of any audience, anytime, anywhere.

A powerful story - well told - is your secret to connecting with clients, colleagues and customers. With Doug Stevenson's Story Theater Method, you can become a "magnetic" speaker with the power to attract and hold any audience's attention.

You'll learn how to: use strategically chosen stories to sell your idea or product; use a nine step formula for crafting compelling stories; get your point across to insure maximum "buy in;" brand your message with a "Phrase That Pays;" incorporate humor so people laugh while they learn; get out of your own way and "Stand in Your Power;" and make dull and dry technical information come alive.

Whether you are speaking to five or five thousand, these easy-to-understand-and-apply techniques will immediately enhance your professional credibility. Are you ready to be more motivating, memorable and magnetic? ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Outstanding!!! Breakthrough guidance for speakers.
Doug Stevenson's book is superb! As a keynote speaker and author of the Amazon bestseller "How Great Decisions Get Made," I've read many books and listened to dozens of tapes. This is the best. Doug guides you through the steps that will take your speaking to a higher level. If you want to experience putting his guidance into action, be sure to sign up for his Story Theater Workshop. I read the book, attended the workshop, and now I'm conveying my message much more powerfully.

Written by the creator of the "Story Theater Method"
Never Be Boring Again is a solid, 352-page guide to spicing up business presentations in such a manner so as to fully captivate attention, inspire and motivate action, and bring about tangible, practical results. Expertly written by the creator of the "Story Theater Method", speech writer, and presentation consultant Doug Stevenson, Never Be Boring Again focuses on stories as power for getting and keeping the audience's full attention, peppered with tips, tricks, and techniques to keep 'em coming back for more. If you are charged with speaking in public, then Doug Stevenson's Never Be Boring Again is enthusiastically recommended reading for you!

Power-Up Your Presentations
People love stories. That's why the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' books are so popular. But even better than reading a great story is the experience of seeing and hearing a story performed by a skilled story teller.

Doug Stevenson knows how to make a story come to life, and in 'Never Be Boring Again,' he shows you how you can do it, too. He makes the process (almost!) painless, even if you are not a natural story teller.

This is not a book about how to give a speech. It is a detailed how-to about making powerful connections with your audience through vivid and engaging stories. And it's not just 'rah-rah.' Doug walks you through the nine steps of story structure to help you craft stories that will engage listeners and get your point across. He shows how to incorporate The Phrase That Pays-a message that your listeners will remember and take with them. Then, Doug helps you use your body, voice and emotions to deliver a presentation that will hold the attention of any audience.

If you have ever watched a gifted speaker hold an audience in the palm of his hand, and wanted to know how you could do that, too, this is the book you have been waiting for. Don't wait any longer. Put Doug Stevenson's powerful Story Theater Method to work for you.

Cathy Stucker
Author, Speaker and Consultant

Highly Recommended
Doug Stevenson's book "Never Be Boring Again" makes a pretty bold claim. One thing that I learned in my childhood is if you are going to make a bold claim you had better be able to back it up because someone will call you on it. Then again you can get away with making a claim like that when you can back it up and Doug Stevenson does exactly that. If you've done much public speaking at all you know that it is easy to tell if you have an audience eating out of your hand or if you are losing them. The problem is finding a way to consistently keep your audience interested.

This is the same problem that has been around forever in the theater industry. How do you get your audience involved in the story? Well, actually that is the answer. People get involved in stories. Lists of numbers are useless unless they can be converted to an illustration that points out their effect. Using his "Story Theater Method" as the base on which to build, Stevenson takes the reader on a trip into the world of preparing powerful, effective presentations that lead people to action. Stories involve the audience and once it is involved the audience will pay attention. When the audience pays attention they remember the phrases you use and your "phrase that pays" has the effect you desire.

I had the opportunity over the last few weeks to try a presentation to various groups. So, I tried to redo part of it using the techniques in the book. The bottom line was that a great deal more of the people remembered much more of the presentation in the group where the techniques were used. They also asked more and better questions because they had been listening throughout the presentation.

"Never Be Boring Again" deserves the highest recommendation that I can give and should be required reading for anyone who is not a hermit because we are always speaking to an audience, even if it is just one person.

Awesome book . . . Just what I needed to make my story work!
This book gots me going in the right direction from the very beginning. It not only describes what to do, it showed me how to do it to make my presentation better. The clear and concise descriptions, through the use of examples and stories, made it easy to relate to. The book provided the steps needed for me to develop and craft my story. Then I learned how to make it come alive. The book is an excellent teaching tool for those of us who love a "show me how" book. It's easier for me to make the connection with my audience now that I understand how to do it. The added value I received of developing a powerful presentation was well worth the investment of time to read it. ... Read more

Book Description

It?s here! An all-new edition of the handbook that started the active training revolution.

You'll learn how to:
* Assess training needs and participants
* Develop active training objectives
* Create practical opening exercises
* Prepare effective lectures
* Design active training exercises
* Provide for back-on-the-job application . . . and much more!

Silberman is synonymous with active training. Thousands upon thousands of trainers look to Silberman for sage advice on teaching adults the way they learn best: by doing.

Now Silberman presents an all-new edition of his runaway bestseller, Active Training. This handbook shows you how to design and conduct experiential programs in private and public sector organizations from beginning to end. Silberman has augmented the first edition, with a wealth of new training exercises and updated case studies, along with information on emerging training technologies and ways to substantiate the ROI of training. Plus, a new section entitled Introducing Active Training explores in greater depth the reasons why adults learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning process.

You get over 200 real-life designs and case examples distributed over 35 subject areas including:
* coaching
* communication skills
* team building
* performance appraisals
* customer service
* problem solving
* time management
* leadership . . . and much more!

The index to the case studies enables you to find a training example that suits your current need. Checklists and assessments reinforce training topics and enable you to plan for action.

I'm 'Gung Ho!' about Active Training. All trainers should find it a valuable reading experience. It is loaded with sound concepts and practical ideas.
--Ken Blanchard, co-author, The One Minute Manager and Gung Ho!

Within the covers of this book is all the material you need to make a course or seminar a success. Silberman?s guidebook is loaded with practical, original training tips and a whole host of ways to incorporate these ideas into your training. Experience the second edition of this training classic and you'll never face an audience the same way again. Active training starts here! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wow!
Great book with plenty of practical comments and ideas which allow you to design a truly active session that both, your audience and you, will enjoy.

The best book in training i have read since i am training
I have pleasant meetings with you book Active Training at the last weeks. I am very impressed from it. The book is the best book that has been written about active teaching and learning. The book taught me new active ways as well. The book could help you diagnosis your faults at training and remind you what you forget to do. The book is very friendly. Active Training make it clear that you can be the best trainer if you just work for it. "Active leaning" might hurts but it helps you to grow. I am very grateful about the adventures. The book function like a mirror that tell you where your lipstick is not polished , so you can correct it. The book gave me new insights even I am teaching for 10 years already . The book is like a mentor If you like you can give your hands and travel at a virtual exelent training class.

Many good ideas on how to make your training more active
This book has many good ideas on how to make your training more active. For example, it give one ideas on how to turn a mundane one-way lecture into a lively interactive discussion so that the participants not only enjoy the learning, but retain and use the knowledge gained. In addition, there are many activities that a trainer can use to make his or her training more lively. I strongly recommend this book to all trainers. ... Read more