When I first started listening to the book, I was really intrigued, considering how information is decimated and how we should better explain ourselves without being patronising and yet without assuming knowledge too. However, after a while, I found myself zoning out and having to go back. I wonder whether this might have been better in written form? I normally consume my nonfiction audibly on runs, and this got me through a 10k, but I haven't found myself reaching for it since... As another reviewer commented the combination of both memoir and guide is perhaps a little confusing, and I think leaning one way over the other might have been better - and perhaps clearer, ironically...

I did find this interesting but it wasn't the most natural listen and I think I would have enjoyed the physical book more. However Ros is very articulate and I learnt some very helpful tips from THE ART OF EXPLANATION.

Surprisingly good.
Excellent clear narrator.
Really good hints and tips on public speaking but also just communication in general.

An engaging and informative read that is written, as you’d expect, in a straightforward and accessible way. Brilliantly narrated by the author.

Thanks so much to Headline for this ALC! I can't think of a single person who can't benefit from reading this book. It's a lot more than a guide to good explanations, but a guide to overall improved communication whether in the workplace, at school or even in personal relationships.
I'm a real stickler for good comms - the amount of misunderstanding that arises from people being poor at communicating is astounding! Whether it's because they give missing or excessive information, because they have different reference points when listening or because so many people listen to respond to what they think a person is going to say rather than listening to what is actually being said... this book can help anyone convey their messages better.
I actually wanted to check if the publisher can send me an eBook version of it so I can go back to it whenever needed like a reference book.
The Art of Explanation should be mandatory reading for all people!

In "The Art of Explanation," Ros Atkins shares practical tips on how to explain complicated stuff clearly. With his experience as a BBC presenter, he pinpoints ten key elements for good explanations and gives a step-by-step guide in seven parts.

What I like about the book is how Atkins focuses on understanding your audience. He says you should think about what they know, what interests them, and any biases they might have. It's also about keeping a balanced tone—confident but impartial, sticking to the facts.

I find Atkins' seven-step process extremely handy. Especially as a writer. It breaks down explaining things into manageable parts. But you can use Atkins' advice in many situations beyond your writing, such as giving a speech or doing a job interview. His stress on being clear, empathetic, and using stories makes this book a go-to for anyone wanting to get better at explaining complex ideas.

This is one of those books I didn't know I needed. I've listened to the audiobook but I plan to get the ebook too and go through that in more detail. There's a bunch of stuff in here that seems to me directly applicable to PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) systems. So I'd like to dig into it and make it part of the way that I write.

I must confess I had no idea who Ros Atkins was (even though I might have heard the name before), before requesting this arc. I was drawn in only by the title. The conveyance of information is deeply fascinating to me.
This is a mixture of a rather concrete how-to and anecdotes about the author's professional life. The latter I found rather intriguing and would have liked even more of. However, that was not the premise of the book. And maybe that was what didn't work well for me. Either strict guidebook or memoir, but it was too hard a task obviously to bring those two together. For that it still worked fine in the end.
The author stresses again and again that he neither considers the recipient of information stupid nor malevolant in any way, but rather unable or unwilling due to circumstances if not inclined to consume the information he presents. I guess this way of thinking might help make me feel a bit less didactic in my approach to explanations at work. And I enjoyed that about the book.
Overall I would maybe find the book helpful, was I really before a concrete task that needed a deep explanation of something. For smaller tasks the procedure seems overwhelmingly complex. (But that is just a personal impression.) The last part about e-mail communiction was especially relevant maybe to my day to day work, so I found it most engaging.
Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing an advanced reader copy.

Interesting book explaining the art of good communication and theory. How to engage people and explain your concept or idea can be difficult, this book gives you another persons experience and what they have learned along the way through their career. Certainly got me engaged and worked through the book. Some great techniques to follow and try for yourself, I will defiantly like to read this again to really absorb the advice. Read by the author which always helps. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

Since receiving this audiobook from Netgalley, I’ve purchased several copies of this book! One for the office, one for my notes, and a signed one to keep nice. The office copy is very popular.

Ros covers some great topics and really breaks them down into comprehensive chunks. I’m very glad I discovered this book; thank you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - definitely recommend

* ARC from Netgalley *

I was a little sceptical going into this book as I didn’t know what to expect, but thoroughly impressed me. You had quite a few good tips and things that you can use and it also explains why people say what they say and also what is the easiest way to relate information and how it’s always a learning curve, no matter where you are in business or where you are personally I did actually really enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend giving a read it as well worth it time and I would 100% read again to just absorb more information.

This is a really great audiobook about the art of explanation. It’s very informative and Ros did a great job distilling some complex ideas around communication and explanation into easy to understand steps.

I would really like a paper copy of this book too as it will be good to highlight and refer back to later. I’d still recommend listening to it though as it was really nice to hear the examples of tone and pacing in Ros’ voice!

I loved how Ros reflected on his own learnings, mistakes and difficulties faced with explanations. Though the author is a BBC presenter and journalist, this book has easily transferable skills and information for other settings. I definitely learnt a lot from this book which will be extremely helpful in my work as a researcher!

I will definitely be recommending this book to many friends and colleagues.

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline, Wildfire AND Ros Atkins for this audiobook and the opportunity to review it.

A very useful and informative guide to improving the way we explain things. The author, a BBC presenter and journalist, gives many examples of ways to make information more succinct, easier to understand and more interesting for the listener/ reader. I can imagine many who would feel more confident presenting information after taking advice from this book. Thank you to Net Galley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Detailed, informative, helpful book about how to improve your communication skills. I found it easy to understand, easy to implement the tips, entertaining to listen to. Highly recommended

This is a very interesting book, and I already mentioned it to a few people. I feel like many people should read or listen to this book, this would help them a lot (especially a few of the people I'm working with).

I listened to the audiobook version of the book and I was surprised to see that the narrator was no one else, but the author himself, which made the experience of listening even more interesting.

Also, I'm interested in buying a hard copy of this book when it comes out. I have a feeling it might help me in the future and I guess having a hard copy, going through it and highlighting the important bits would be nice and easy to remember the advice from this book.

Lastly, I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and the publisher for offering me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is an audiobook read by the author, clearly explaining how to communicate with clarity and confidence. For me, the theme of this book is perfectly presented in practice—a seven-step process to improve your verbal and written communication. Everyone who reaches for these items will not only learn first-hand from a professional how to communicate better but will also hear interesting anecdotes from the world of media and the author's career.