As I head out on the presentation path, I’ve been asked to create a video reel—and I find myself eyeing the TEDTalks enviously. They have the lighting, the graphics, and the eager audience we would all love to have. Most of all they have the speakers. You could do much worse with your time than watching one TEDTalk a day, kind of like taking a daily inspiration vitamin.

Of all the TED talkers that have had an impact in the blogsphere, there is one that I find myself watching over and over again. Not just because his message is important (which it is) but I’m hooked by his charmingly insistent delivery and his wow graphics.

Bruce Mau first turned me on to Swedish researcher Hans Rosling, showing me Rosling’s groundbreaking 2007 TEDTalk and exclaiming about Hans’s “at the races” delivery as he graphically demonstrated global population growth tied to a country’s poverty or prosperity, collapsing decades down to mere minutes. Fascinating stuff (or Rosling makes it fascinating). And then, lo and behold, he ends his presentation by swallowing a sword. Really.

There’s no way I can top THAT in my upcoming speeches. But Rosling himself tops it with his most recent TEDTalk, taped in November ’09 in India. It’s his latest visualization, detailing Asia’s rise as the next great economic power. Yes, it’s another horse race, and just as exciting as his previous ones, especially when Rosling predicts the exact date that China and India will outstrip the U.S. It ain’t too far off.

It’s no mystery why Rosling has been asked to give a total of 5 TEDTalks. His secrets are great stats, great graphics, and a great Swedish accent. For more about Hans Rosling and his ingenious information visualizations, go to http://www.Gapminder.org. Click on Gapminder World to see the trends in interactive action (as shown above). But even better, watch his presentations complete with the trademark humble-yet-passionate Rosling narration.

No related posts, but check around GlimmerSite for lots of other interesting articles.