Stephen Jay Gould Extemporaneous Speech

Within the three readings, there are three main points towards the goal of effective presenting that stand predominately above the others: the employment of extemporaneous speech, a rule of repetition and the implementation of images. The former most is identified by each of the readings as perhaps the most important aspect to consider when presenting. Stephen Jay Gould, in “Ladders and Cones: Constraining Evolution by Canonical Icons,” claims that, “Scientists hardly ever read; we think through the order and logic of the argument, make outlines and notes, and then speak extemporaneously,” (Gould, 38) and that he, “would have thought that the superiority of such truly oral presentation would be self-evident,” (Gould, 38). Mark Schoeberl and Brian Toon in “Ten Secrets to Giving a

That is, none have based their presentation on standing before their audience and “read[ing] their papers from a written manuscript,” (Gould, 38) as Gould critically describes some presenters doing. However, that is not to say that this technique of extemporaneous speech has been executed flawlessly at each seminar I have attended. Yet, even the most poorly executed extemporaneous speech I have so far observed holds more benefit than the subject of Gould’s criticism. The clear difference in appropriateness of technique—that is, between reading a densely written piece or speaking to an audience in a relatively colloquial manner—places significantly more effectiveness in a poorly executed edition of the latter than even a well accomplished exemplar of the former; a stance that Gould, as well, supports in his writing. A ready and practical example of this is much of this assignment. Read as a text, it is quite manageable. However, spoken to a seminar room full of people fighting to stave off a “post-prandial nap,” (Schatz, 14), it would be terribly ineffective, and likely result in more ready realization of said