Michael Alley

Many scientists and engineers first learn to present by watching others present and mimicking these teachers. This technique helps to convey the basics, but how do collective bad habits get rooted out? Indeed, many weaknesses get passed on from mentor to mentee and from lab to lab. Instead of just floating aimlessly with the masses, those who aspire to greatness can benefit from reading critical commentary from scientific communicators like Michael Alley. This book, first published in 2002 but updated in 2013, seeks to improve technical presentations across the board. By using real examples from science and engineering, it hits a needed sweet spot to expand readers’ reach.

Communication transmits knowledge; it advances careers and wins recognition. However, many scientists do not spend much time on this vital piece in their training beyond a baseline competency. Alley lays a thorough layer of theory on the practices of presentations. Most critically, he tries to ensure that the reader’s presentations are not “just another presentation” in hearers’ ears. Instead, he seeks to maximize their effectiveness and impact.

Alley spends over 100 pages focusing on slide presentations, rightfully so considering how fundamental they are to modern communications. He criticizes Microsoft PowerPoint for using a topic/sub-topic organization instead of an assertion/evidence model. He advocates that an assertion/evidence model makes helps an audience naturally retain knowledge long-term. Some say that these adages are dated, being ten years old. However, I can share that as a regular presenter, I identified several specific ways I can change my slides in the future.

Anyone who presents science or engineering topics – which includes most scientists, engineers, and even data scientists – can raise their game by looking at this book. I found it one of the most comprehensive approaches about communicating data. Many other books on presentations are indeed trendier, but the added panache often comes with less thought, reason, and evidence. Alley’s book outpaces those books with a deeper theoretical basis honed by decades of research. If you’re a STEM presenter and want one book to improve from, you have found a winner here.… (more)