Book Review: The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs

I love this book. On my website, it's featured as one of my top three books on presentations and public speaking.

Steve Jobs is one of the greatest storytellers in the world. His YouTube videos are watched by thousands of people.
Carmine Gallo studied Steve Jobs and distilled his public speaking techniques into practical lessons that any public speaker can use.

The book is broken down into three acts: Create the Story, Deliver the Experience, and Refine and Rehearse.

I love how Gallo takes the reader behind the scenes to tell us how seemingly effortless moments were scripted in advance. For example, on page 152 Gallo writes:

The “showstopper” had been planned all along. Well before Jobs enacted the stunt in front of an audience, press releases had been written, images created for the website, and ads developed showing a hand pulling the notebook from a manila envelope. The “holy shit” moment had been scripted to elicit an emotional response; the presentation as theater.

We often think that some people are just naturally gifted in public speaking. Their presentations seem effortless. But as this book reveals, Steve Jobs is very mindful of every element -- from the organization of ideas to the use of visuals.

Here’s video on the Business Week website with Carmine Gallo discussing the book. This slide show gives a great overview on the tips.