Sizzle & Substance: Presenting with the Brain in Mind

Rating:
Summary: Delightful handbook for effective communication
Review: This book is not only a comprehensive handbook for presenters, with detailed and thoughtful memos, checklists, tips and tools and questions for planning, action, surveys... It is also a masterpiece for effective communication, teaching and learning based on the author's synthesis of brain-compatible learning. "The brain is meaning driven." (p.3) Aligned with the stages of learning, Jensen proposes a seven-steps brain-friendly training model: 1. Neural history. 2. Learning environment. 3. Context for success. 4. Acquisition. 5. Elaboration. 6. Memory encoding. 7. Functional integration. The format of the book, is compatible to the brain's grasp and understanding, with "Key Topics" for each chapter, numerous key ideas on the margin and in the boxes, headings and bullets. People with background in NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming)and Ericksonian hypnosis can easily resonate with the stress on states, rapport and the use of language and find it thrilling to get the biological basis to the fundamental aspects of communication: first impressions, states, attention, persuasion, credibility... The brain's need to balance focused atttention with non-focused "down-time" reflection to process information for meaning-making, organization, and future recall given in Chapter 9 is just one example of so many interesting, enlightening and useful ideas that the book is full of. What is satisfying is not just the provision of techniques, but the underlying understanding of how we learn and communicate. Anyone, esp. teachers, parents can also benefit from reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: Delightful handbook for effective communication
Review: This book is not only a comprehensive handbook for presenters, with detailed and thoughtful memos, checklists, tips and tools and questions for planning, action, surveys... It is also a masterpiece for effective communication, teaching and learning based on the author's synthesis of brain-compatible learning. "The brain is meaning driven." (p.3) Aligned with the stages of learning, Jensen proposes a seven-steps brain-friendly training model: 1. Neural history. 2. Learning environment. 3. Context for success. 4. Acquisition. 5. Elaboration. 6. Memory encoding. 7. Functional integration. The format of the book, is compatible to the brain's grasp and understanding, with "Key Topics" for each chapter, numerous key ideas on the margin and in the boxes, headings and bullets. People with background in NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming)and Ericksonian hypnosis can easily resonate with the stress on states, rapport and the use of language and find it thrilling to get the biological basis to the fundamental aspects of communication: first impressions, states, attention, persuasion, credibility... The brain's need to balance focused atttention with non-focused "down-time" reflection to process information for meaning-making, organization, and future recall given in Chapter 9 is just one example of so many interesting, enlightening and useful ideas that the book is full of. What is satisfying is not just the provision of techniques, but the underlying understanding of how we learn and communicate. Anyone, esp. teachers, parents can also benefit from reading this book.