Jun

Ten Amazing Speeches/Talks That Will Change The Way You See The World

As you can see, the title of this post is Ten Amazing Speeches/Talks That Will Change The Way You See The World, but there’s one problem… I only have eight… I’d love to hear from you which other speeches/talks should be added to the list… (add your comments at the end of this post)

These speeches/talks blew my mind! They are jaw-dropping, persuasive, courageous, ingenious, fascinating, funny and/or inspiring!

Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address – Stay Hungry Stay Foolish

[22 minutes, speech starts after 7:30min]

“Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, urges graduates to pursue their dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks– including death itself”.

Steve Jobs – Stay Hungry Stay Foolish [skip to the 7:30min]

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture – Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

[76 minutes]

“Carnegie Mellon Professor Randy Pausch, who is dying from pancreatic cancer, gave his last lecture at the university Sept. 18, 2007, before a packed McConomy Auditorium. Pausch talkes about his lessons learned and gives advice to students on how to achieve their own career and personal goals”.

Randy Pausch – Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

To learn more about Randy Pausch, visit his website:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/

Sir Ken Robinson – Do Schools Today Kill Creativity? [20 minutes]

“A must-see for every parent and teacher. Education guru Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining (and profoundly moving) case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. Sir Ken Robinson is author of “Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative,” and a leading expert on innovation in education and business. (Recorded February, 2006 in Monterey, CA)”.

Sir Ken Robinson – Do Schools Today Kill Creativity?

For more amazing TED videos, visit:
http://www.ted.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/tedtalksdirector

Malcolm Gladwell – Age Before Beauty [82 minutes]

“On February 21st, 2006, Malcolm Gladwell gave a talk about the phenomenon of prodigies and late bloomers in art. The event was part of the New Yorker Nights, a series hosted by the Columbia University Arts Initiative and The New Yorker”.

Malcolm Gladwell – Age Before Beauty – Part 1 [23 minutes]

Malcolm Gladwell – Age Before Beauty – Part 2 [29 minutes]

Malcolm Gladwell – Age Before Beauty – Part 3 [30 minutes]

[source: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/03/06/060306onco_covers_gallery]

Another Gladwell favorite of mine is an article titled “The Formula” (click to read) published in The New Yorker in October 2006.

And of course, there are his two best sellers The Tipping Point and Blink, which are a must-read in my opinion, or listen if you’re an audible fan like me.

Seth Godin – Sliced Bread and Other Marketing Delights [19 minutes]

“In a world of too many options and too little time, our obvious choice is to ignore the ordinary stuff. Marketing guru Seth Godin spells out why, when it comes getting our attention, bad or bizarre ideas are more successful than boring ones. And early adopters, not the mainstream’s bell curve, are the new sweet spot of the market”.

Seth Godin – Sliced Bread and Other Marketing Delights

Other Seth Godin best sellers and personal favorites are The Big Moo, Small Is the New Big, and Purple Cow.

Tim Ferriss – The 4-Hour Workweek (mp3) [54 minutes]

“In a digital world, it is possible to design luxury lifestyles in the here-and-now without waiting for retirement. This presentation explores extremes of creating time and mobility, including: how to check e-mail twice a day…or once per week; the end of time management and the birth of “selective ignorance”; how to travel the world without your boss (or customers) ever knowing”.

Tim Ferriss – The 4-Hour Workweek (mp3)

[source: South by Southwest (SXSW) 2007 Podcasts]

You can download the complete audio book of “The 4 Hour Work Week: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich” here.

Annie Leonard – The Story of Stuff [20 minutes]

“The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.”

Annie Leonard – The Story of Stuff

[source: http://www.storyofstuff.com]

Rob Bryanton – Imagining The Tenth Dimension [12 minutes]

“In string theory, physicists tell us that the subatomic particles that make up our universe are created within ten spatial dimensions (plus an eleventh dimension of “time”) by the vibrations of exquisitely small “superstrings”. The average person has barely gotten used to the idea of there being four dimensions: how can we possibly imagine the tenth?”

Rob Bryanton – Imagining The Tenth Dimension

Confused? I was too… fascinated, yet confused…
For more info about the tenth dimension, visit:
http://www.tenthdimension.com/

Jill Bolte Taylor’s Stroke of Insight [20 minutes]

“Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.”

Jill Bolte Taylor’s Stroke of Insight

For more amazing TED videos, visit:
http://www.ted.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/tedtalksdirector

Dan Ariely – Are We in Control of Our Decisions? [18 minutes]

“Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses classic visual illusions and his own counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we’re not as rational as we think when we make decisions.”

Dan Ariely – Are We in Control of Our Decisions?