Create Powerpoint Presentations in a Weekend (In a Weekend)

Rating:
Summary: Still the best...
Review:

If there were ever a better use for "must have," I would really like to meet the person arguing the case as it is applied to an introduction to PowerPoint presentation creation.

And like the definition of "truth" itself, (truth is simple, ubiquitous and eternal) the "must have" is not limited to a new comer but to old timers as well.

I should know. I have been a graphics' specialist since the earliest days of my accounting curriculum major when I wanted to express the numbers as a pie and as a bar chart and had to labor for hours with marking pencils. rulers, and press-on type (not to mention calculators, allocation formulas and such). That was while as a high school student, I had a winning Science Fair project on the effect of heat and light on the eating characteristics of guppies--something that today, probably only a cat would appreciate.

Yes, there are many reasons to present. And not all of us have the luxury of 30 years of desire and hard work to call upon when placed in the spot of having to do it quickly. So, that is the "what" of the author's book.

The what this book is about is the hands-on experience of the author being made real in type. From the opening intro on the three key elements of all presentations being "How the presentation is shown," "How the presentation looks," and "How the presentation reveals the content," the substance of the book is distilled.

But the remarkableness of the book is the author's keen ability to delve into the matters that really matter.

First up is the "down-and-dirty doing of a presentation" that is kept fast paced, clear and to the point (almost angelic and certainly worthy of a cat's meow}.

The author cites his own "Reilly's Laws" on key issues. These issues (seldom referred to by most PowerPoint authors) are insightfully useful.

A case in point is the instance of having to present on a screen (where people in the back of the room can only read the type that is 20 points and larger) and yet provide the material in printed form as well. One of Reilly's Laws state: "Expect the worst, and you'll never be disappointed." Reilly explains, "You have to execute this presentation anticipating the worst-case scenario." Continuing, "Use nothing less than 20-point type." Reilly concludes, "The reader of the screen version will be happy, and the reader of the paper version will be able to read it without glasses."

The worst would be a screen version where the type is too small to be read by those in the back of the room.

Communication is the operative issue. As Reilly notes, "If the communication is not effective, it is a poor presentation no matter how fancy or cool the techniques are."

And the doing of techniques are not overlooked (as is often the case in more than half of all presentations). Reilly covers the bases of scanning pictures, incorporating sounds and movie files as well as using tables, graphs and org charts. But not just by stating how to insert them as another kind of object. Reilly delves deeper into these objects to once again help the creator stop or foresee the glitches in what he/she is doing or would like to do.

After all is stated, Brian Reilly has a vested interest beyond your purchase of his book. As a highly valued contributor to the Microsoft newsgroup of Microsoft PowerPoint and in the CompuServe forum on PowerPoint , Brian Reilly makes time to answer users in their momentary PowerPoint usage dilemmas.

Read his book today, and you will be better able to keep the graphics' doctor away. Here's to your health and to your keeping the good times rolling!

Lewis Gudmundsen
Microsoft PowerPoint End-user MVP

Owner
Gudmundsen & Company, LLC
[e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Still the best...
Review: An update from my February 98 review (appearing below) is appropriate now that PowerPoint 2000 is being marketed. Indeed, the book is timeless as regards presentation development. Buy it and hold on to it!

Rating:
Summary: This Book Delivers!
Review: This is a terrific book for the beginner. It is written in a very friendly manner and leads the reader through the creation of PowerPoint presentations at a very comfortable pace. And the book really lives up to its name. I read the book, and worked through the exercises, in 1.5 days. As a result, I was able to troubleshoot a client's PowerPoint presentation and create a host of new slides (even though I never used PowerPoint before reading the book). This book really steps up to the plate and delivers!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book Takes Reader From Beginner to Expert
Review: Using Create PowerPoint Presentations In A Weekend to learn PowerPoint was very enjoyable and effective.

I knew nothing about PowerPoint when I picked up this book. After going through the easy to follow lessons over several days, I became VERY proficient using the software. I'm not only proficient, but able to get results and use techniques FAR beyond my actual experience.

The only criticism I have is that the book is in need of editing for spelling, grammar and punctuation!! Also, a couple of examples/lessons need to be clarified. Despite that, I still give the book a 5 star rating. It accomplishes it's mission and then some!