There’s a new book just out that focuses on improving the kind of presentations that scholars, researchers, and other technical specialists need to give. The book is Better Presentations: A Guide for Scholars, Researchers, and Wonks by data-visualization pro Jonathan Schwabish. Jonathan is a Senior Research Associate in The Urban Institute’s Income and Benefits Policy Center and a member of the institute’s communication team where he specializes in data visualization and presentation design. Jonathan is an economist by training and an expert in data visualization. He’s a numbers guy with a special skill for helping others communicate their data in ways that engage and connect with an audience.

Jonathan also created the PolicyViz website which features a popular podcast that covers a range of topics related to effective communication and the display of data visualizations. Recently, I was a guest on the PolicyViz podcast. You can hear that episode here on the PolicyViz website.

“Presenting is fundamentally different from writing,” says Jonathan. “[But] with only a little more time, a little more effort, and a little more planning, you can communicate your work with force and clarity.” Better Presentations is a simple, well-written, visual book that is useful for students, teachers, and other academics, as well as for anyone who needs to give data-driven presentations. Check it out.

Links

• Follow Jonathan here onTwitter.
• The PolicyViz website
• Jonathan’s book Better Presentations on Amazon.com
• A great book on using charts called Good Charts by Scott Berinato
• Another book for tech presenters: Presenting for Geeks by Dirk Haun