Links for Chapter 11. Giving Talks
Astrophysicist Neil Tyson giving a stirring presentation.
The organization for professional speakers.
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
When we first take the stage, people make snap judgements about us that we must recognize and work against. Malcolm Gladwell’s book sheds some light on this phenomenon, the good and the bad of it.
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting
Syd Field’s classic book. When you are preparing to give a scientific colloquium, I think it helps to imagine you are writing a screenplay.
A Plot Summary of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
You might enjoy this readable summary if it’s been a while since you’ve seen the movie. (It’s much more thorough than the one-paragraph summary that’s in the book.)
Neil deGrasse Tyson: Astrophysicist and Communicator Extraordinare
Garr Reynolds, in his blog Presentation Zen, discusses the compelling presentation style of scientist Neil Tyson. Watch the videos to see how Tyson puts his whole body into it.
American Program Bureau: Science Speakers
If you get really good at giving talks to a wide range of non-specialist audiences and you find yourself in high demand, you might want to try to get involved with a speakers bureau like the American Program Bureau. A speakers bureau finds you paid speaking engagements in exchange for taking a cut of the fee. The American Program Bureau has Michio Kaku, Steven Squyres, and Bill Nye on its roster. You can find many other speakers bureaus on Google.
