And Your Point Is?

About the Book

And Your Point Is? is the definitive book on modern presentation design, written by one person who has been developing computer-based on-screen presentations since the beginning of the personal computer era, and long before Windows or PowerPoint.

J. Douglas Jefferys’ volume encompasses both presentation design and delivery, based on his 25 years experience as a corporate trainer, professional speaker, and presentation developer. Mr. Jefferys leaves no doubt that there is an inextricable relationship between design and delivery, and that you can’t do either well without a good understanding of the other.

Readers will be delighted to know that this is a take-it-home-and-use-it-in-business-tomorrow class of book. Everything that Mr. Jefferys brings forth in this often entertaining discourse applies to the presentation you’re working on right now. The book is structured around “The Seven Basic Rules” of presentation design, and before Jefferys tells you what to do, he tells you why.

In the penultimate chapter, Jefferys takes square aim at the illustrious Dr. Edward Tufte, considered in many circles to be the preeminent guru on visualizing information, and who has spent much of this century writing and lecturing on the “dangers” of using PowerPoint in scholastic, scientific or other “serious” environments. By offering an amazingly clear and easily understood alternative design to the infamous “Boeing” slide, considered by Tufte to be proof that PowerPoint killed the seven Columbia astronauts, the author irrefutably demonstrates that properly constructed slides actually can deliver exactly the intended message, and that the only danger is the lack of training most people receive before being taxed to design and give consequential presentations.

This beautifully penned book will not only change forever the way you view presentation design and delivery, it delivers the tools you need to make those changes now. Follow these rules, and you will save your next audience from “Death by PowerPoint”.

About the Author

A Microsoft Certified Professional, Doug began his platform-training career in 1981 with Commodore Business Machines. At Commodore, Doug was challenged to present what was then a hobbyist's concept - the PC - as a viable new consumer product. To best showcase features and functionality, Doug built from scratch what would be one of the first on-screen presentations.

Fully 10 years before Windows, Doug was helping to create the ground rules for successful computer-based presentation techniques. Today, in addition to his roles as keynote speaker and trainer to thousands of satisfied participants in proper public speaking skills, Doug continues to develop and edit dynamic on-screen presentations for top executives at many Fortune 100 companies.

Contact: Doug@publicspeakingskills.com