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Life Is a Series of Presentations

The title might be a bit of an overstatement, but the basic idea is solid:
executive coach Jeary (with the help of media coach Dower and former
Doubleday editor Fishman) convincingly points out that presidential
elections, careers, fortunes and even lives can hang in the balance between a good presentation and a bad one. This remarkably thorough book extends the art of presentation beyond mere delivery skills to the work of anticipating (and preparing for) the mind of an audience, predicting typical personalities in a crowd (not just hecklers, but also "snipers," "cheerleaders," "vacationers" and "convicts"), and promoting audience involvement. (Jeary himself, aka the trademarked Mr. Presentation, carries a stack of one-dollar bills that he peels off and hands to audience members when they contribute to his talks.) Cognizant that public speaking ranks alongside death and flying as common fears, Jeary stresses rigorous practice and preparation in order to eliminate problems and banish nervousness. Another useful chapter draws upon the work of Dr. Robert Cialdini to outline the six "most successful techniques for influencing people": reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity. Jeary's book also manages to avoid the stodginess of most Toastmaster guides and public speaking manuals, making this volume a helpful and readable guide to presenting in public.