Here you can find books, articles, videos, and other materials related to storytelling, public speaking, presentations, facilitation, slide design, educational talks, and communication. Some of the materials are available online for free, while others are available for purchase.
These are resources we frequently recommend during workshops, lectures, and individual consultations, both as practical references and as deeper reading for those who want to explore these topics further. While independent learning can be very useful, communication skills develop most effectively through practice, feedback, and real interaction with audiences.
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Storytelling
Sales Presentations
Educational talks
Slides and other visuals
Delivery
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Video Essay · 10–20 min
A simplified and highly practical interpretation of the “hero’s journey” structure adapted for modern storytelling. Dan Harmon breaks narrative down into a clear cyclical model that became widely used in screenwriting, animation, comedy writing, and online content.
Useful for understanding how to build momentum, tension, transformation, and emotional payoff in stories without relying on overly complex narrative theory. Particularly helpful for presentations, educational talks, and short-form storytelling.
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Talk / Video · ~18 min · Public speaking fundamentals
A talk by Chris Anderson, curator of the TED conference, about the core principles behind strong public speaking and why some ideas resonate with audiences more effectively than others. Rather than focusing on performance tricks alone, Anderson discusses clarity of ideas, audience connection, narrative structure, and authentic communication.
Useful as a concise introduction to TED-style presentation philosophy and the fundamentals of engaging public speaking. Particularly valuable for speakers preparing educational talks, conference presentations, or idea-driven communication.
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Book · 416 pages · Long read
A classic study of myths, archetypes, and narrative structures that influenced modern storytelling far beyond literature and cinema. Campbell explores recurring patterns behind stories from different cultures and introduces the concept of the “hero’s journey” — a structure later widely used in films, books, games, and public speaking.
Useful for understanding how narratives create emotional engagement, tension, meaning, and a sense of progression within a story.
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Book · 160 pages · Medium read
A foundational work in structural storytelling analysis in which Vladimir Propp examines recurring patterns in Russian folktales and identifies common narrative functions shared across different stories.
Useful for understanding how stories are constructed on a structural level: character roles, plot progression, repetition, and narrative logic. Particularly valuable for anyone interested in story architecture, presentation structure, or building clear narrative sequences.
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Article + Pitch Deck Template · 15–20 min · Practical guide
A well-known guide to startup and business pitching by Guy Kawasaki, built around a simple 10-slide structure for concise and focused presentations. The article explains what information investors and audiences usually expect to see in a pitch and why overly detailed presentations often work worse than shorter and clearer ones.
Useful as a practical introduction to pitch structure, presentation prioritization, and communicating ideas under time constraints. Includes examples and a downloadable presentation template.
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Video · 1 min
A short and entertaining example of an informal elevator pitch in a late-night show format. Matthew McConaughey briefly presents the tequila brand he launched with his wife, combining storytelling, humor, personal context, and clear product positioning within a very limited amount of time.
Useful as an example of concise presentation, natural delivery, and how conversational storytelling can make promotional communication feel engaging rather than overly scripted.
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Article · 10 min · Quick overview
A short introduction to the AIDA model — one of the most influential classic frameworks in marketing and sales communication. The article explains the history of the model and its four stages: Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action.
Useful for understanding the structure behind persuasive presentations, advertising, self-presentation, and sales communication. A good starting point for anyone interested in how audience attention and motivation are built step by step.
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Article + Video · 15+30 min
A practical introduction to elevator pitches and professional self-presentation from Harvard Catalyst’s communication resources. Despite the title, the material is useful far beyond startup pitching and focuses on how to talk about yourself, your work, and your ideas clearly and authentically in professional situations.
Useful for networking, conferences, interviews, academic communication, and short professional introductions. Includes practical recommendations, examples, and short video explanations.
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Article · ~10 min · Practical analysis of persuasive storytelling
A well-known breakdown of Drift’s sales narrative and one of the most frequently referenced articles on strategic storytelling in business communication. Andy Raskin analyzes how sales and pitch presentations can be structured around change, conflict, positioning, and a clear vision of the “promised land” rather than around product features alone.
Useful for understanding narrative-driven sales communication, startup pitching, positioning, keynote structure, and persuasive presentation strategy. Particularly valuable for founders, marketers, consultants, and speakers working with complex ideas or B2B communication.
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Book · 256–400 pages (depending on edition) · Long read
A foundational work on experiential learning theory in which David Kolb describes learning as a cyclical process built around experience, reflection, conceptualization, and experimentation. The book became highly influential in education, facilitation, organizational development, and professional training.
Useful for understanding how people learn through practice, why reflection matters in group work and workshops, and how to design educational experiences that combine theory, activity, and feedback in a meaningful way. Particularly valuable for facilitators, educators, mentors, and anyone working with interactive learning formats.
Experiential Learning Experience As The Source Of Learning And Development
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Book · 260–300 pages · Long read
Many workshops and group sessions are planned around content alone, without enough attention to the people in the room, the goals of the event, or the communication style of the facilitator. As a result, even well-prepared activities can feel disconnected, exhausting, or ineffective.
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Book / Online Course · Medium read or multi-hour course · Practical introduction
A popular introduction to the neuroscience of learning, memory, attention, and procrastination based on one of the most widely attended online courses in the world. The authors explain how learning works from both a practical and cognitive perspective: focused and diffuse thinking modes, memory formation, habit building, effective repetition, and overcoming procrastination.
Useful for understanding how people absorb information, why learning often feels difficult, and how educational processes, workshops, and self-study can be designed more effectively. Particularly valuable for educators, facilitators, students, and anyone working with complex information or skill acquisition.
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Template Library / Marketplace · Quick browse or long exploration
A large collection of presentation templates for PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Slides. Useful both as a source of ready-to-use layouts and as a reference library for studying presentation structure, typography, composition, slide pacing, and visual hierarchy.
Particularly helpful for analyzing how different presentation styles solve practical communication tasks: pitch decks, educational talks, reports, portfolios, startup presentations, and corporate communication. Even when not using the templates directly, browsing strong examples can help develop visual taste and presentation literacy.
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Visual Reference Platform · Endless browsing · Inspiration & research
A visual discovery platform widely used by designers, illustrators, photographers, presenters, and creative professionals to collect references, explore visual styles, and study composition, typography, color palettes, layouts, and presentation aesthetics.
Useful for building moodboards, finding stylistic inspiration for slides and visual storytelling, comparing different design approaches, and developing visual taste through exposure to large collections of curated examples.
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Quick browse · Visual assets & references
A large free stock photo library with high-quality photography that can be used in presentations, educational materials, websites, moodboards, and visual storytelling projects.
Useful for finding atmospheric visuals, backgrounds, illustrative imagery, and presentation assets without relying on low-quality stock photography. Particularly helpful for slides that require emotional tone, visual contrast, or cleaner visual communication.
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Quick browse · Icons & interface elements
A large library of icons, pictograms, and simple illustrations commonly used in presentations, infographics, interfaces, educational materials, and visual communication.
Useful for building cleaner slide structures, simplifying complex information visually, creating navigation elements, and maintaining stylistic consistency across presentations and educational content.
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Quick browse · Typography reference
A free open-source font library widely used in web design, presentations, interfaces, and digital communication. Useful for exploring font pairings, comparing typography styles, and finding readable, presentation-friendly fonts for slides and educational materials.
Particularly helpful for understanding how typography affects tone, hierarchy, readability, and visual rhythm in presentations.
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Quick practical tool · Image generation, editing & upscaling
A platform combining AI image generation, enhancement, and upscaling tools for designers, illustrators, and presentation creators. Useful both for creating new visual assets and for improving the quality of existing images, references, illustrations, and presentation materials.
Particularly helpful for presentation design, moodboards, visual storytelling, concept visualization, and situations where standard stock imagery does not fully match the required tone or composition.
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Talk / Satirical Performance · ~5 min · Presentation analysis through parody
A humorous TEDx-style parody in which comedian Will Stephen deliberately delivers a speech with no real content while still successfully using many recognizable presentation techniques associated with confident public speaking.
Useful as an example of how delivery, pacing, gestures, rhetorical structure, pauses, slide timing, and audience interaction can create the illusion of depth and authority even when the actual message is intentionally empty. Particularly valuable for critically analyzing presentation mechanics and TED-style speaking conventions.
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Talk / TED Talk · ~10 min · Voice, sound & delivery
A well-known TED Talk by communication expert Julian Treasure посвящённая тому, how voice, tone, rhythm, and sound influence the way audiences perceive a speaker. Treasure connects principles of sound design and listening culture with practical public speaking techniques.
Useful for understanding vocal delivery, clarity, pacing, intonation, and the emotional impact of speech. Particularly valuable for speakers who want to improve audience engagement not only through structure and content, but also through the way ideas are physically звучат and delivered.
Julian Treasure — How to Speak So That People Want to Listen
