Public speaking and presentations, whether for scientific, educational, commercial or other purposes has entered a new dimension. The old techniques of the blackboard and chalk, the flip chart, or the overhead projector and a set of coloured pencils are almost, but not quite, dead. For those more attuned to glass slides (which will include most readers) and letterset (that time consuming method of stencilling and hand drawing slides) the electronic era has brought a degree of trepidation.

It’s not that these steam age techniques were fault free, far from it. Most amateurs, like myself, will recall the terrors of the slide projectors. Slides mysteriously appeared upside down or on their side and then came the dreaded jamming of the carousel, after which a helpful member of the audience would leap to the rescue and, turning everything upside down, would tip all the slides into an uncoordinated heap. Sometimes the slides seemed to melt and warp before a mesmerised audience whilst now and then an ominous crack spread across the glass like a bolt of lightning, scarring the landscape of the most prized and important slide. On one occasion, at an international meeting, attended by one of the authors of this book, I was the victim of a manic projector, which suddenly erupted and belched my slides in to the air one after another. This particular presentation ended abruptly at this point, with the audience convulsed in hysterics and all going out for an early coffee break.

I doubt that this farcical event was the major stimulus to this book but rather the fact that the authors were aware of the new difficulties and dangers of PowerPoint presentations. Now as we turn up to a conference we see speakers struggling with an unresponsive computer and watch with morbid fascination as they furiously and impotently click on their “A” disc or CD ROM. Sometimes we see the overconfident expert walk to the podium with his personal laptop that cannot be connected with the projector. Too often the speaker presses the wrong key and we are plunged in to an electronic void or, worst still, back to the beginning of an already tedious talk. Even if there is mastery of the technology, the presentation may be criticised for being too wordy, or set up in bland unreadable colours or because the special effects of funny photos, moving bullet points, videos and sound effects are a total distraction from the main thrust of the presentation. “The PowerPoint is the Message” to paraphrase Marshall McLuhan.

Terry Irwin and Julie Terberg have written a remarkably readable and practical book to help beginners and aficionados to understand and improve their computer presentations. I will not reiterate here all the topics covered but they include some of the important legal aspects of public presentations as well as the general and fine detail of PowerPoint. I congratulate them on their thoughtfulness and knowledgeable book and I am sure readers will find plenty here to educate and amuse them.

One final word to all electronic enthusiasts, in which I categorise myself. Let us not forget the beauty and power of the English language, which can be so brutalised by computer presentations. This has been illustrated by the recent publication of the Gettysburg address alongside a PowerPoint template presentation of the same,
which shows that even this eloquent and moving speech can be reduced to nonsensical jargon. PowerPoint enthusiasts - take note!

Geoffrey Glazer MS FRCS FACS
Honorary Consultant Surgeon,
St Mary’s Hospital,
Praed Street,
London W2