{"product_id":"the-art-of-explanation-isbn-9781118374580","title":"The Art of Explanation","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eYour guide to becoming an explanation specialist.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eYou've done the hard work. Your product or service works beautifully - but something is missing.  People just don't see the big idea - and it's keeping you from being successful. Your idea has an explanation problem.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Art of Explanation\u003c\/i\u003e is for business people, educators and influencers who want to improve their explanation skills and start solving explanation problems.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAuthor Lee LeFever is the founder of Common Craft, a company known around the world for making complex ideas easy to understand through short animated videos. He is your guide to helping audiences fall in love with your ideas, products or services through better explanations in any medium. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eYou will learn to: \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003ePlan: Learn explanation basics, what causes them to fail and how to diagnose explanation problems.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003ePackage: Using simple elements, create an explanation strategy that builds confidence and motivates your audience. \u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003ePresent: Produce remarkable explanations with visuals and media. \u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Art of Explanation\u003c\/i\u003e is your invitation to become an explanation specialist and see why explanation is now a fundamental skill for professionals.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreface xi\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAuthor Note xv\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction xvii\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart 1 Plan 1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 1 Learning to Run 3\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 2 What Is an Explanation? 7\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat Is Not An Explanation 8\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDefining Explanation 9\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExplanations Require Empathy 10\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAct and Art 11\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLook at Your Fish 12\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExplanation Lowers the Cost of Understanding 13\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn Explanation Is a Way to Package Ideas 14\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExplanations Answer the Question ‘‘Why?’’ 16\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExplanations Make People Care 16\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 3 Why Explanations Fail 23\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll About Confidence 24\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAssumptions Cause Failure 24\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWords Can Hurt 26\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe Lack Understanding 27\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe Want to Appear Smart 28\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Direct Approach—No Context 30\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 32\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 4 Planning Your Explanations 33\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIdentifying Explanation Problems 34\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart 2 Package 43\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 5 Packaging Ideas 45\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStepping Outside the Bubble 46\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhat Goes into the Packaging? 48\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 6 Context 51\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eForest then Trees 53\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSolving the Context Problem 56\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eContext in Explanation—We Can All Agree 61\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eContext and Pain 63\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExample: Google Docs 63\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the Explanation Scale 65\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 66\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 7 Story 67\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStories Versus Facts 68\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBut I’m Not a Storyteller 69\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommon Craft and Stories 71\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Simple Ingredient: People 73\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUsing Stories in Explanation 74\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBasic Story Format 75\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhen Does Storytelling Not Work? 77\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePersonification and Story 79\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the Explanation Scale 81\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 81\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 8 Connections 83\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConnecting Your Long Lost Uncle—Old Versus New 84\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBuilding-on Versus Establishing 87\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnalogy 89\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommon Craft Videos 90\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the Explanation Scale 92\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 92\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 9 Description 93\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExplaining Web Browsers 95\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExplanation Is Not a Recipe 97\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn The Explanation Scale 99\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 99\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 10 Simplification 103\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 11 Constraints 113\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommon Craft and Constraints 115\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConstraints and Your Explanations 117\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 119\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 12 Preparing for and Writing an Explanation 121\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Common Craft Writing Process 122\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBig Ideas 123\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResearch and Discovery 123\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eScript Writing 125\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Real Thing 128\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 13 Bringing an Explanation Together 131\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart 3 Present 147\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 14 Common Craft’s Lessons Learned 149\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommon Craft Gets Started 149\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTen Lessons Learned from Common Craft Explanations 151\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 15 Right Medium for the Message 157\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA Transformation 158\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedia Options 159\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePresentation Modes 161\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRecording and Distribution Options 164\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConstraints Come to the Rescue 165\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 171\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 16 Visuals 173\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eYou Can Use Visuals 178\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDan Roam’s 6 × 6 Rule 178\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommon Craft Visual Metaphors 186\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNoise and Simplicity in Visuals 188\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInfographics 191\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCreating Digital Visuals 193\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary 193\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 17 Emma and Carlos 195\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEpilogue 202\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 18 Explanation Culture and Your Life as an Explainer 203\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eYour Life as An Explainer 206\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcknowledgments 209\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLinks to Common Craft Videos 211\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbout the Author 215\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBibliography 217\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndex 219 \u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLEE LeFEVER\u003c\/b\u003e is the Chief Explainer, illustrator, and voice of Common Craft, and is widely credited for inspiring the video explanation industry. Since 2007, the company has won numerous awards and has created explanations for the world's most respected brands, including Intel, Google, Dropbox, and Ford. Its online videos have been viewed more than 50 million times. Today, Common Craft's mission is to make the world a more understandable place to live and work by inspiring and equipping professionals to become explanation specialists.\u003cbr\u003e Lee can be found in Seattle, Washington, with his wife and business partner, Sachi, and their dog, Bosco, a fine swimmer.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBecome an explanation specialist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eYou've done the hard work. Your product or service works beautifully—but something is missing. People just don't see the big idea, and it's keeping you from being successful. Your idea has an explanation problem.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Art of Explanation\u003c\/i\u003e is for businesspeople, educators, and influencers who want to improve their explanation skills and start solving explanation problems. These tools, tactics, and techniques will help you consistently inspire audiences to fall in love with your ideas, products, or services through better explanations in any medium. You will learn to:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePlan:\u003c\/b\u003e Learn explanation basics, what causes them to fail, and how to diagnose explanation problems\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePackage:\u003c\/b\u003e Using simple elements, create an explanation strategy that builds confidence and motivates your audience\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePresent:\u003c\/b\u003e Produce remarkable explanations with visuals and media\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Art of Explanation\u003c\/i\u003e is your invitation to become an explanation specialist and see why explanation is now a fundamental skill for professionals.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wiley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47990161440997,"sku":"NP9781118374580","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781118374580.jpg?v=1761786738","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-art-of-explanation-isbn-9781118374580","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}