two sides: authentic presentation and authentic listening. We need both. I appreciate all the work Tufte has done on authentic presentation ... who's working on authentic listening? POWERPOINT GOES TO IRAQ! Here is an excerpt from today's (September 29, 2006) New York Times article on Bob Woodward's latest book "State of Denial": "The book describes an exchange in early 2003 between Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, the retired officer Mr. Bush appointed to administer postwar Iraq, and President Bush and others in the White House situation room. It describes senior war planners as having been thoroughly uninterested in the details of the postwar mission. "After General Garner finished his PowerPoint presentation -- which included his plan to use up to 300,000 troops of the Iraqi Army to help secure postwar Iraq, the book says -- there were no questions from anyone in the situation room, and the president gave him a rousing sendoff." Those who make the tool seem quite out of touch with the needs of those who use it. I've read far better advice even on sites that uncritically accept PowerPoint as a valuable tool. The slides Microsoft presents as models, I would present as examples of what to avoid. Here's an excellent public technical report sent to all the customers of the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority. Note the straightforward text, the names of those responsible, and the competent data tables. -- Edward Tufte Coaches Use Laminated Game Outlines for Any Situation The New York Times By