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Powerpoint isn't the problem. It's a symptom. The real problem is communicating effectively with ideas/pictures.

There are two books which have made me better at this:

1. The back of the napkin [http://www.thebackofthenapkin.com/]

2. Slide:ology [http://blog.duarte.com/book/]

These books kick-started my journey to understanding (and appreciating) the use of diagrams, colors, fonts, and imagery for the purpose of conveying an idea.

Update: Added links.

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Slide:ology has some prominent negative reviews at Amazon complaining about the content being shallow, derivative, and ad-laden.

I haven't read the remarks, but I think it's possible for people with a lot more experience than I do to make that sort of assessment and be spot on.

It helped me.

One day, with any luck, I'll be able to look back and make the same remarks. Hopefully it will be because I'll be a lot better at it by then.

I'd suggest also watching Larry Lessig. He puts almost no information on any individual slide, but he gets his meaning across with about 4 slides per minute. He often repeats slides for emphasis.

In a tech talk, you'll never quite match his style. But getting halfway there can improve many talks.

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