Free Download of an eBook, T J Walker’s Secret to Foolproof Presentations

T J Walker is offering a free download of the Acrobat .pdf file e-book version of his forthcoming 176-page book T J Walker’s Secret to Foolproof Presentations. I downloaded it, glanced at it and saw some useful information on rehearsing. I have no connection with Mr. Walker other than that I sometimes read his Insights blog. Downloading the eBook puts you on his email list, which I later unsubscribed. So far I have not gotten any other unsolicited email to indicate my information went anywhere else.

There is a chapter titled “Should I rehearse, and for how long?” which begins on page 23 of the Acrobat file (page 9 of the text). He says that you should always video record your presentation. If you do not already have a camcorder, then he suggests other possibilities such as a cell phone or web cam. He also suggests that you might go buy an inexpensive Flip digital video camcorder.

My cell phone does not have video, and I don’t have a webcam. I had a tripod, but not a camcorder. So, I took a trip over to my local thrift store and for ~$10 got a huge, old, VHS camcorder kit (complete with a hard case for storage). There was no battery (but I got an AC adapter for another $2), and the recorder mechanism was dead. What I wanted was just the video camera, since I already have a DVD recorder hooked to my television. I stopped at Radio Shack and got longer cables (another ~$10) to connect the camcorder to the phono jack inputs on the front of my DVD recorder. Presto - my living room has become a video studio for practicing presentations!