Engineering Speaking by Design

Engineering Speaking by Design

by Edward J. Rothwell, Michael J. Cloud
Released December 2017
Publisher(s): CRC Press
ISBN: 9781351830218

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Book description

From the Authors of Engineering Writing by Design: Creating Formal Documents of Lasting Value

Engineering presentations are often a topic of frustration. Engineers complain that they don't enjoy public speaking, and that they don't know how to address audiences with varying levels of technical knowledge. Their colleagues complain about the state of information transfer in the profession. Non-engineers complain that engineers are boring and talk over everybody’s heads.

Although many public speaking books exist, most concentrate on surface issues, failing to distinguish the formal oral technical presentation from general public speaking.

Engineering Speaking by Design: Delivering Technical Presentations with Real Impact targets the formal oral technical presentation skills needed to succeed in modern engineering. Providing clear and concise instruction supported by illustrative examples, the book explains how to avoid logical fallacies (both formal and informal), use physical reasoning to catch mistakes in claims, master the essentials of presentation style, conquer the elements of mathematical exposition, and forge a connection with the audience. Each chapter ends with a convenient checklist, bulleted summary, and set of exercises. A solutions manual is available with qualifying course adoption.

Yet the book’s most unique feature is its conceptual organization around the engineering design process. This is the process taught in most engineering survey courses: understand the problem, collect relevant information, generate alternative solutions, choose a preferred solution, refine the chosen solution, and so on. Since virtually all engineers learn and practice this process, it is so familiar that it can be applied seamlessly to formal oral technical presentations.

Thus, Engineering Speaking by Design: Delivering Technical Presentations with Real Impact is inherently valuable in that it shows engineers how to leverage what they already know. The book’s mantra is: if you can think like an engineer, you can speak like an engineer.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Half Title
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Dedication
  6. Table of Contents
  7. Preface
  8. Authors
  9. 1    Becoming a Presenter
    1. 1.1    Is Public Speaking Easy?
    2. 1.2    How Can I Learn to Be a Good Presenter?
    3. 1.3    The Benefits of Being a Good Presenter
    4. 1.4    Getting Started
    5. 1.5    Chapter Recap
    6. 1.6    Exercises
  10. 2    Engineering a Presentation
    1. 2.1    Quick Review of Some Design Concepts
    2. 2.2    Framing the Goal of Your Technical Presentation
    3. 2.3    How the Information Resides in Your Mind
    4. 2.4    Your Audience
    5. 2.5    Other Aspects of Situational Awareness
    6. 2.6    Checklist: Engineering Your Presentation
    7. 2.7    Chapter Recap
    8. 2.8    Exercises
  11. 3    Designing Your Presentation
    1. 3.1    Does Your Presentation Need a Structure?
    2. 3.2    Designing the Introduction
    3. 3.3    Designing the Conclusion
    4. 3.4    Designing the Main Body of the Presentation
    5. 3.5    Getting a Plan on Paper
    6. 3.6    Checklist: Designing Your Presentation
    7. 3.7    Chapter Recap
    8. 3.8    Exercises
  12. 4    Building Your Presentation
    1. 4.1    The Target Specifications
    2. 4.2    Quality Control: Some Key Aspects
    3. 4.3    Logic
    4. 4.4    English Usage
    5. 4.5    Mathematical Discourse
    6. 4.6    Visual Aids
    7. 4.7    Ethics
    8. 4.8    Checklist: Building Your Presentation
    9. 4.9    Chapter Recap
    10. 4.10    Exercises
  13. 5    Optimizing Your Presentation
    1. 5.1    Rehearsal
    2. 5.2    Feedback and Evaluation
    3. 5.3    Revision and Iterative Improvement
    4. 5.4    Checklist: Optimizing Your Presentation
    5. 5.5    Chapter Recap
    6. 5.6    Exercises
  14. 6    Showtime: Delivering Your Presentation
    1. 6.1    The Countdown
    2. 6.2    Do It!
    3. 6.3    If You’re Nervous
    4. 6.4    When the Unexpected Occurs
    5. 6.5    Handling Questions
    6. 6.6    Checklist: Delivering Your Presentation
    7. 6.7    Chapter Recap
    8. 6.8    Exercises
  15. 7    Success! (What Now?)
    1. 7.1    It’s Over
    2. 7.2    Chatting after the Talk
    3. 7.3    Use the Experience to Improve
    4. 7.4    Prepare to Be in Demand
    5. 7.5    Consider Reinventing Your Talk
    6. 7.6    Archiving Your Talk
    7. 7.7    Checklist: After the Talk
    8. 7.8    Chapter Recap
    9. 7.9    Exercises
  16. Further Reading
  17. Appendix: Presentation Checklist
  18. Index

Product information

  • Title: Engineering Speaking by Design
  • Author(s): Edward J. Rothwell, Michael J. Cloud
  • Release date: December 2017
  • Publisher(s): CRC Press
  • ISBN: 9781351830218