Chris Anderson, TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking (Aff). Boston: Mariner Books, 2016. 269 pages.
This book is particularly helpful for public speakers. TED Talks has carved out a niche as the premier vehicle for short, powerful, well-delivered presentations. TED’s purpose is to disseminate ideas. They see ideas as a means of making the world better. The key is to learn how to present ideas in a clear, compelling manner. Chris Anderson is the CEO of TED Talks and has led it to its current success. He has plenty to say about good communication.
TED Talks are only 18 minutes long. The talks used to be longer, but they ultimately found the sweet spot where significant ideas could be shared without overloading or boring people. Of course, few pastors preach 18-minute sermons (although doing so might not be a bad idea!). Nevertheless, much science and observation has gone into this decision.
One of this book’s values is the wide variety of ideas presented through TED Talks. Anderson shares some past talks as examples. Discussions of laughter, bacteria, or increasing nonprofit fundraising are all interesting talks the book includes, a bonus feature when reading a book about presentations!
Anderson claims there is no “one way” to give a great talk (v. x). Although the Internet and social media have become increasingly ubiquitous, Anderson believes the ability to present compelling ideas will be as important as ever in the future. He suggests, “As a leader, or an advocate, public speaking is the key to unlocking empathy, stirring excitement, sharing knowledge and insights, and promoting a shared dream” (v. xi). He adds, “The good news is, these skills are teachable” (v. xii). He also notes, “Every meaningful element of human progress has happened only because humans have shared ideas with each other and then collaborated to turn those ideas into realities” (xiv).
Throughout the book, Anderson discusses a broad range of topics related to public speaking, from how to use power points to how to dress. While many technical issues can make speakers better, he asserts, “If you know how to talk to a group of friends over dinner, then you know enough to speak publicly” (10).
Anderson claims that “Your number one mission as a speaker is to take something that matters to you and to rebuild it inside the minds of your listeners” (12). His central thesis is that “. . . Anyone who has an idea worth sharing is capable of giving a powerful talk” (120) He adds, “Style without substance is awful” (13).
Anderson emphasizes that the speaker must be authentic. If the speaker is nervous or makes a mistake, it is better to be honest and up front about it, and audiences will generally show grace. He writes that many of the most powerful presentations have involved speakers telling a personal story (14). He also notes that body language is ultimately not as important as words (19).
I liked his thought that speaking involves the speaker inviting listeners to go on a journey (20). He explains, “Whether the journey is one of exploration, explanation, or persuasion, the net result is to have brought the audience to a beautiful new place and that too is a gift” (21). I also appreciated his concept that “The key principle is to remember that the speaker’s job is to give to the audience, not take from them” (24). He notes that even if speakers want to garner support, investment, or donations, they do better to give a gift to their listeners than to make a sales pitch.
Anderson offers many great tips on effective public speaking. He notes that people have successfully used a wide variety of methods, including having high tech videos, music, and even a dance troupe during their presentation. He urges speakers to have a carefully thought out through line, which is the main idea that binds the talk together (30-31). Sir Ken Robinson is apparently the most popular TED Talk speaker as of this book’s publishing (40). Interestingly, more than 1,000 speakers have had their talk viewed more than one million times. Robinson encourages people to use the What? So what? Now what? Approach to speaking (40).
Anderson urges speakers to break down barriers and earn listeners’ trust (50). He notes, “People are naturally cautious about opening up their minds—the most precious thing they own—to complete strangers. You need to find a way to overcome that caution” (47).
This book contains numerous insightful nuggets. He recommends that you not share more of your story than you have worked through (55). He encourages humor but warns that ineffective humor is worse than no humor at all (55). He claims hilarious but true stories are generally best. He also advocates the use of personal stories where applicable (60).
Anderson further notes that 1/3 of TED talks use no visuals at all (113). He hates bullet points on slides. He states, “Bullets belong in the Godfather. Avoid them at all costs” (122). Anderson also recommends memorizing talks but not reciting them rigidly. Ultimately, he suggests doing what the speaker feels most comfortable doing. He also prefers no podium so there is nothing separating the speaker from the audience. But, again, this preference is not iron clad.
As a professional speaker, I resonated with many of his suggestions and was relieved to know I had gravitated to many (though not all) of his suggestions after years of experience and trial and error. I recommend this book to everyone who presents their ideas in any verbal format. Anderson is correct that ideas move the world, and the better you are at expressing your ideas, the more effective you will be at making your world a better place.
Rating: 3
