Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Passion and the courage to "tell it like it is"

This is an important 18-minute talk by the great novelist Isabel Allende. Not all great writers are wonderful speakers, but Isabel Allende is both. This presentation is extremely visual yet not a single visual aid is used; Allende paints the images with her words. The content is well organized and she tells stories to make her point. To get the whole story you need to listen to the entire talk; the conclusion is very well done. Her speech is well written, and although the topic is very serious, she uses just the right amount of humor at the right times. But beyond the structure and delivery of the presentation from this charismatic storyteller, it is the content that needs to be heard. Some of you may be offended by her ideas, that's fine. When you're trying to change the world not everyone will appreciate it. I loved this talk and have watched it several times. Allende's message is not one of misandry as some critics claim. Indeed, I find her and her message of passion and hope to be a great source of inspiration for both men and women. And her TED talk proves again that you can effectively give a speech from a prepared script so long as the writing is good and the delivery is warm and engaging. (It isn't easy.)







Go here on the TED site to join the discussion about this presentation topic.



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