Business manga: presenting Daniel H. Pink's latest book
April 26, 2008
Best-selling author Daniel H. Pink is one of the most interesting people I've ever met. His second book -- A Whole New Mind -- is so spot on for our times, I dedicated 5-6 pages of my book outlining how the key ideas in his book can be applied to the world of presentations. I am a huge Dan Pink fan. So I was very happy to receive Dan Pink's latest book -- The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need -- last month. I read it just an hour after I received it (during lunch; 160 pages of manga so it reads fast, and I eat slowly). When I met Dan last year in Japan, he was in Tokyo for a few months on a Japan Society Media Fellowship studying the manga industry. I didn't know he was going to write a business book in manga exactly, but we did indeed discuss many of the same issue that are in his brilliant new book. We're the same age and share a similar perspective on work, careers, education, etc. There are more than six lessons that a young person needs to know in order to be successful, of course, but the six that Dan touches on in his book are fundamental. This book is simple, memorable, and presented in a creative and evocative way. I loved it! I'm purchasing several to give as the perfect graduation present this year.
Watch the trailer of Dan Pink's latest book below (link)
A presentation about the book
I highly recommend this wonderful book. I have given one informal presentation on some of the principles in the book as part of a presentation on personal branding. Below, you can see the slides I used in that presentation (though I have added some text and some slides to make them a bit more meaningful sans narration). The illustration of myself was whimsically made by my wife (a designer and artist) several years ago on a piece of scratch paper in a Kyoto Starbucks. I scanned it and altered it a bit to give it different looks for this presentation. Yes, it's crude and very, very simple, but that's the idea. All slides either have only text or photographs from istockphoto.com. Very simple slides to create. These slides are very beta at this point, but perhaps they can be of use to you.
• BusinessWeek article on Dan's book: Career Advice from a Comic Book
Note: If you would like to download the slides in pdf format, go directly to the slides on the Slideshare site, you'll see the download option there under the slide deck.
Garr: thanks for mentioning this new book. I'll order it 'subito'. Regarding your presentation: Seth Godin Action Man is very funny!! And lots of lessons from the book obviously come full circle with your approach to presentations. Moreover, I like how you got inspired to create a comic yourself.
I find the trailer for the book very good because it features some of the Made-to-stick-qualities: Excellent example for simplicity (the manga-style of the book), unexpectedness (e.g. the type of music for a career-advisor-book-trailor -- and the 'secret-to-be-discovered' procedure), concreteness, emotionality and a story!
To close this long comment (sorry for it): I'm not into 'Mangas' but the more unexpected reading Dan Pink's book will be for me. Do you know the comic "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi? That's done in a very good way (simplicity), too.
Posted by: Caroline Schneider | April 26, 2008 at 02:45 AM
Garr,
Thanks for the review...already in the wishlist. By the way fantastic slides the ones you show us!!! (they remind me of the long way I still have to travel in my slide design and why you are my presentation & slide "guru").
Best regards
Posted by: Luis Iturriaga | April 26, 2008 at 04:06 AM
im ordering this book right now!
Posted by: Charles Martineau | April 26, 2008 at 04:11 AM
Dan sent me an email when the books was being released. Nice short read that really makes sense. Like your presentation too, Garr.
Posted by: Michael Sporer | April 26, 2008 at 05:22 AM
Hi!
I'm a Law student from Spain. I began to read your comments a couple months ago, and I found them extraordinarily interesting. I even translated to Spanish and printed your tips about presentations, and already apply them in a class presentation. So, I must to thank you for it.
This book seems also very remarkable, so I'll look for it.
Take care, and thank you, again!
PS. Please, excuse my English; it is not my mother tongue, though I try to improve it.
Posted by: Daniel González | April 26, 2008 at 08:43 AM
When I saw there were 184 slides in your presentation, I thought, "Holy Cow!" I mean, there are only 160 pages in the book. But I'm glad I clicked, that is one of the best presentations I've ever seen and the content sold the book.
Posted by: Jay Ehret | April 26, 2008 at 10:52 AM
WOah, すごいーです！
Those slides are awesome and funny!. Can I embed them (with attribution) on my own blog or would you rather have me link to the entire post?
B.
Posted by: Brian Pauw | April 26, 2008 at 05:00 PM
Dan's book is fantastic.
As a guy approaching his mid-50's, okay, I'm already in my mid'50's, Dan's six lessons are right on the money. I've been living these lessons for thirty years. I just didn't know it. There was no plan to live without a plan.
Oddly enough, I ended up doing planning with groups, as one of my skils sets. The twist is it isn't about the plan, but about the relationships formed around their share values and vision for what they can achieve. So, Dan's book is really quite good and should be read by families, teams, and friends, together.
Garr,your presentation of Dan's ideas is really spectacular. When I write my review of Dan's book for my blog, I'm going to embed your slideshow because it is the perfect complement to Dan's manga masterpiece.
Posted by: Ed Brenegar | April 26, 2008 at 05:45 PM
Hi Dan
best presentation ever. Nice simple effective total presentation zen. Book ordered. Thank you for the recommendation.
Posted by: Emmanuel Gobillot | April 26, 2008 at 06:10 PM
Hi Garr,
You're changing my life! Tonight I've watched your presentation to Google staff, blogged about you, and discovered this amazing blog that I am adding to my google reader. Have to give a presentation in two weeks that's a big deal for me -hope I can pull it off using your tips -I'll take a few tips from Dan and persist and believe in myself. Thanks.
Jenny Luca.
Posted by: Jenny Luca | April 27, 2008 at 11:36 PM
Johnny Bunko - Great read and recommendation, Garr!
I picked this up upon your recommendation here at PZ, and read through it in an hour. Smart approach with solid material ... I recommend it to people as well!
Posted by: David Grangaard | April 28, 2008 at 03:17 AM
Johnny Bunko - Great read and recommendation, Garr!
I picked this up upon your recommendation here at PZ, and read through it in an hour. Smart approach with solid material ... I recommend it to people as well!
Posted by: David Grangaard | April 28, 2008 at 03:17 AM
Hey Garr,
cool, cool stuff.very informative, very humorous...enjoyed going thru the presentation very much....
u have widened my horizons so much.
any plans of presenting in Germany soon???
Cheers
Tara
Posted by: taramajumdar | April 28, 2008 at 06:23 PM
Garr, thanks for the great presentation and for putting me on to Dan's latest book. I loved the six career lessons and feel that they are applicable to everyone who is contemplating a change in their working life, not just those who are starting out. I shall be ordering a copy of it tonight and sharing it with my clients.
I love your site and found your PZ book one of the best reads of this year. Challenging, fun, informative and beautifully presented, it was a joy to read. You taught me a lot!
Posted by: Andrew Foster | April 28, 2008 at 10:45 PM
Great presentation, Garr, on Dan Pink's book. Kind of funny that the presentation has nearly as many slides as the book has pages.
I've been recommending PZ and Johnny Bunko to my students and the feedback has been very positive. I teach a class in business communication and we've just finished two weeks on presenting, something I believe is a critical (and fun) skill. The students have been exposed to ideas from PZ, Cliff Atkins' BBP, Made to Stick, and A Whole New Mind. Their ideas about presentations are changing--they're beginning to see them not as tortures to be endured but as opportunities to tell persuasive, visual stories.
Posted by: Michael Gowin | April 29, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Garr,
Thanks for putting this presentation together friend. In 5 minutes, I was able to get an overview and it resonated with my right brain thinking! I'm going to get a copy of the book for my 16 year old daughter.
I just read Presentation Zen on a trip to LA and learned so much. Keep spreading the presentation gospel.
Patrick
Posted by: Patrick Johnson | April 29, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Garr, I got Johnny Bunko yesterday and read it this morning in one go. Apart from the content so perfectly outlined in your presentation two points made me laugh out loud: "No. Life isn't an algebra problem. -- Well, actually, it's like an algebra problem painted by Salvador Dali." and "Heroes isn't real, Carlos. It's fiction. This is nonfiction." Very deep. Like this kind of humour.
Posted by: Caroline Schneider | April 29, 2008 at 10:59 PM
Nice, Garr your slides made want to get the book, hehe. Curiously I, I was Googling some information for my work, and I also spotted this site http://flashforlearning.com/ which has an interview with Dan Pink. Destiny wants me to read it, I must be doing something wrong with my career path, lol.
Posted by: Oscar Llamas | April 30, 2008 at 11:48 PM
Garr,
Thanks for the pointer to Dan's new book as well as the great slide presentation summary. As a fan of your book, Presentation Zen, I'm wondering if you can share how long it took you to make the slideset.
I've tried the one picture/word per slide model for several of my keynotes like http://www.stormyscorner.com/2008/04/would-you-do-it.html and gotten lots of good feedback. It takes me a long time to create them and I just wondered how much time you spend - am I slow or should I be spending even more time?
Thanks,
Stormy
Posted by: Stormy | May 02, 2008 at 01:27 AM
great slides Garr! you put a lot of work into that! well, I guess you are an expert presenter so should be expected. My friend Melissa Pierce got to interview Dan Pink for our movie "Life In Perpetual Beta: Examining the Evolution of Purpose". He's really cool. I will look more into your PZ stuff and likely hook up with you soon, because I have a couple projects where I need to be an expert presenter! ttys ~V
Posted by: Victory Darwin (BigLife.ws) | May 05, 2008 at 01:09 PM
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기 업 명 : (주)로찌 02)3662-2171, 담당자 Financial Advisor
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기업융자금컨설팅
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1. 신규법인설립-무료상담 및 안내
2. 법인 증자, 년말 결산-효율적인 지도 및 상담
3. 각종 잔고 증명
4. 외자 유치-무료 상담 후 컨설팅 진행(사업계획서 위주 심사임)
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원하시면 언제든 연락 주시기 바랍니다. 전문가의 친절한 상담을 받을 수
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Posted by: ian,KIM | May 17, 2008 at 02:13 AM
I was in training for rigor and relevance when I saw a link to Dan's book about right brain thinkers. His new book looks like it will change the lives of my students. Thanks, Garr, for helping me make a difference.
Posted by: Mike Fladlien | March 18, 2009 at 08:42 PM
was in training for rigor and relevance when I saw a link to Dan's book about right brain thinkers. His new
Posted by: power balance | September 11, 2010 at 11:54 AM