Dramatic composition and vigorous presentation make this a powerful tool to improve mastery of speaking skills.
Communications coach Gallo (The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How To Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience, 2009, etc.) distills the public-speaking secrets of some of the world's top leaders and celebrities.
The author, who has worked with executives from Intel, Cisco, Chevron and other corporations, analyzed more than 500 speeches posted on the online site of TED, which was launched in 2006. By the end of 2012, more than 1 billion users had logged in, and the speeches had been translated into nearly 100 languages. Gallo examines the speaking skills of political leaders (Colin Powell, Al Gore), shapers of the modern digital revolution (Bill Gates, Larry Ellison), and celebrities of the literary, sports and movie worlds. The author organizes his principles under three general headings: unleashing emotional power by using conversational storytelling techniques; employing novelty to surprise, shock, teach and amuse, enhanced by focused multisensory experiences; and keeping to the guidelines set out by TED. These guidelines include the necessity of speakers to keep their speeches under 18 minutes. Gallo draws from current research on how the brain processes information to show why that is “the ideal length of time for a presentation.” Concision counters cognitive backlog, which impedes the assimilation of ideas. Gallo's practical orientation assists his selection of the methods and tactics the speakers employ, and the author holds himself to the same standards he recommends for others. Gallo brings the narrative to life with plenty of examples—e.g., a speech by Harvard neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor about growing up or Bill Gates' effective presentation of the reality of mosquito-borne disease. The author also includes successful outlines and guides to using both audio-visual aides and effective body language.
Dramatic composition and vigorous presentation make this a powerful tool to improve mastery of speaking skills.Pub Date: March 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-250-04112-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
A welcome contribution from a newcomer who provides both a different view and balance in addressing one of the country's...
A fresh, provocative analysis of the debate on education and employment.
Up-and-coming economist Moretti (Economics/Univ. of California, Berkeley) takes issue with the “[w]idespread misconception…that the problem of inequality in the United States is all about the gap between the top one percent and the remaining 99 percent.” The most important aspect of inequality today, he writes, is the widening gap between the 45 million workers with college degrees and the 80 million without—a difference he claims affects every area of peoples' lives. The college-educated part of the population underpins the growth of America's economy of innovation in life sciences, information technology, media and other areas of globally leading research work. Moretti studies the relationship among geographic concentration, innovation and workplace education levels to identify the direct and indirect benefits. He shows that this clustering favors the promotion of self-feeding processes of growth, directly affecting wage levels, both in the innovative industries as well as the sectors that service them. Indirect benefits also accrue from knowledge and other spillovers, which accompany clustering in innovation hubs. Moretti presents research-based evidence supporting his view that the public and private economic benefits of education and research are such that increased federal subsidies would more than pay for themselves. The author fears the development of geographic segregation and Balkanization along education lines if these issues of long-term economic benefits are left inadequately addressed.
A welcome contribution from a newcomer who provides both a different view and balance in addressing one of the country's more profound problems.Pub Date: May 5, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-547-75011-8
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Review Posted Online: April 3, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
An informative and creatively multilayered Google guidebook from the businessman’s perspective.
Two distinguished technology executives share the methodology behind what made Google a global business leader.
Former Google CEO Schmidt (co-author: The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations and Business, 2013) and former senior vice president of products Rosenberg share accumulated wisdom and business acumen from their early careers in technology, then later as management at the Internet search giant. Though little is particularly revelatory or unexpected, the companywide processes that have made Google a household name remain timely and relevant within today’s digitized culture. After several months at Google, the authors found it necessary to retool their management strategies by emphasizing employee culture, codifying company values, and rethinking the way staff is internally positioned in order to best compliment their efforts and potential. Their text places “Googlers” front and center as they adopted the business systems first implemented by Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who stressed the importance of company-wide open communication. Schmidt and Rosenberg discuss the value of technological insights, Google’s effective “growth mindset” hiring practices, staff meeting maximization, email tips, and the company’s effective solutions to branding competition and product development complications. They also offer a condensed, two-page strategy checklist that serves as an apt blueprint for managers. At times, statements leak into self-congratulatory territory, as when Schmidt and Rosenberg insinuate that a majority of business plans are flawed and that the Google model is superior. Analogies focused on corporate retention and methods of maximizing Google’s historically impressive culture of “smart creatives” reflect the firm’s legacy of spinning intellect and creativity into Internet gold. The authors also demarcate legendary application missteps like “Wave” and “Buzz” while applauding the independent thinkers responsible for catapulting the company into the upper echelons of technological innovation.
An informative and creatively multilayered Google guidebook from the businessman’s perspective.Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2014
ISBN: 978-1455582341
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Business Plus/Grand Central
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2014
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