How to Deliver a Great TED Talk: Presentation Secrets of the World's Best Speakers (How to Give a TED Talk) by Akash Karia Read Free Book Online

marched across Europe.
Back home my grandmother raised a baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the GI Bill, bought a house through FHA and later moved west, all the way to Hawaii in search of opportunity.
And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter. A common dream, born of two continents.
My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack, or “blessed,” believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined — They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential.
They’re both passed away now. And yet, I know that on this night they look down on me with great pride.
They stand here — And I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents’ dreams live on in my two precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible.
    The story anchors the point that America is a great nation where hard work and perseverance pay off. I believe that a story is one of the best anchors you can use. It engages the emotional parts of people’s brains and is one of my most reliable and consistently successful tools when giving a speech.
    2. ACRONYMS
    Here’s a quick thought experiment. Imagine that you’re in the military. You’re part of the infantry scouts, which means that you’re on the front line. You are in charge of the critical task of locating enemies and secretly reporting their activities. Having undergone military training, you have learned that you need to report the following items to Headquarters to provide the intelligence required to make an informed decision:
SIZE - Approximately how many troops does the enemy have?
LOCATION of enemy, using map-grid references.
UNIT – What is the identity of the enemy?
ACTIVITY – What sort of activities are being carried out by the enemy?
EQUIPMENT – What equipment and weapons does the enemy have?
TIME – Time and date of sighting.
    Spend a couple of minutes memorizing the list above in the order provided.
    Now, don’t look back at the list. Imagine that you’re on your first mission and you’ve spotted the enemy. Unfortunately, the enemy has spotted you too and you’ve been forced to engage in combat. The enemy opens fire on you – there’s an exchange of bullets, screaming of orders, people hiding and ducking for cover, an explosion of rockets. You’re dazed from the explosion of bombs. You have to write a quick report about the enemy’s activities – to send intelligence back to Headquarters – but it’s hard to think clearly. Under this situation, how well do you think you could remember the items required for reporting?
    Granted, it’s difficult to remember anything under those conditions. However, to make it easier for military personnel to remember the reporting requirements, the military has devised the S.A.L.U.T.E. acronym ( S ituation, A ctivity, L ocation, U nit, T ime, E quipment). The SALUTE acronym takes the initial letter from each required reporting item and forms them into a word that troops can use to remember the items.
    The military regularly uses acronyms to help its troops remember important concepts. For example, the acronym B.R.A.S.S. has been devised to help soldiers remember the techniques to shoot a gun accurately. BRASS stands for B reathe, R elax, A im, S lack and S queeze. Again, the acronym BRASS does a good job of helping soldiers remember the shooting instructions as opposed to a standard list of instructions.
    The military isn’t the only place where acronyms have been used to facilitate learning and recall. Students and teachers all over the