Isaiah and Nathanael recommend these 7 high-impact communications books. Not only will they help you became a better communicator, but purchasing through this page financially supports Own Your Platform.
Our top picks are:
- 60 Ways to Turn a Phrase, by Arthur Quinn. A fun book that teaches how figuring speech best conveys intent.
- Presentation Zen, by Garr Reynolds. One of the most beautifully laid out books ever, transforms your death-by-PowerPoint to beauty and elegance with a little storyboarding and simple techniques.
- Made to Stick, by the Heath Brothers. Top notch discipline for any communication – use the SUCCESS acronym (it’s what I strive for on this site).
- Slide:ology, by Nancy Duarte. Also beautifully laid out, especially look at the chapter with visual models for every type of concept and combination (e.g. where, what, when, why cartoons).
- Universal Principles of Design, by Lidwell, Holden, and Butler. Teaches design thinking that spans products to information architecture, humanizing what comes out of our minds.
- Design Zen, by Garr Reynolds. Teaches the color wheel and use of images that anyone can do without being a graphics designer or using graphics design tools.
- Rhetoric, by Aristotle. Classic foundation to how we think about communication today. From the enthymeme to strategies to divisions of rhetoric, you should read this short text.