There are some books which you just cannot put down once you start reading them. "TED Talks" by Chris Anderson is one of them. Especially so, because I am one amongst those millions of people who watch these talks quite regularly and have been so inspired by them, always wanting to know how these speakers do it so wonderfully and mesmerise the audience. "TED Talks" gives you an insight to all the stories about creating talks that are unforgettable.
For all of you who may have not heard of TED, it is a non-profit organisation which creates a platform for sharing worthy ideas globally in the form of short (18 minutes or less) powerful talks. TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics - from science to business to global issues - in more than 100 languages. Chris Anderson, the author of this book took over TED in 2001 from Richard Saul Wurman.
It begins with Anderson looking back at more than a decade of talks and dissects the critical elements that create the magical connection between the speaker and the audience. What I discovered after reading this book was that one of the top fears of most people is public speaking and this is because it matters the most as to how others think of us. So how does one overcome that? According to Anderson, it's not so much about confidence or stage presence but it's about having something worthwhile to say. Referring to a great talk being like a journey, he quotes TED speaker Tierney Thys, "Like all good movies or books, a great talk is transporting. We love to go on adventures, travel some place new with an informed, if not quirky, guide who can introduce us to things we never knew existed."
One of the key ingredients for a successful talk is a through line and according to Anderson, unexpectedness is critical to a successful through line, and has shared some examples, a classic one being, "More choices actually make us less happy." Connection and humour are some other important elements that contribute towards a successful talk.
The tools recommended in this book for a successful talk are actually very simple and basic but we tend to overlook these. What Anderson recommends is asking yourself if you have anything to share and not promote, make a human connection by using intriguing and provocative questions, use storytelling, keep it simple and focussed and not cram too much in and finally nothing works without a lot of practice, so practice hard.
Equipped with tools that can empower any speaker, this power packed book makes you feel that someday, even you can go and deliver a TED talk. Anderson has shared some great insights from favourites like Sir Ken Robinson, Dan Gilbert, Monica Lewinsky, Sophie Scott and many more - all the tools - right from creating a great content to being the most effective on stage. A must for your library.
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