Dr. Mark L. Johnson’s Training Design Simplified is an eye-opening and no-nonsense guide to overhauling how we train people in the workplace. Drawing on four decades of experience, Johnson exposes the flaws in traditional training—dry lectures, disengaged learners, and minimal retention—and replaces them with a practical, engaging, and human-centered system that works. Through rich stories, clear frameworks like the ADDIE model, and grounded research, the book walks readers through analyzing job roles, writing meaningful objectives, building effective activities, and creating learning experiences that actually stick. More than a how-to, it’s a call to arms for anyone serious about real, lasting learning in the workforce.

Reading this book was like a breath of fresh air. Johnson doesn’t try to impress with jargon or bloated theory. He talks to you like a mentor who’s seen the trenches—who’s failed, learned, and found better ways. I loved how he started with that miserable $900 seminar and used it as fuel to do better. The anecdotes—folding paper, coaching vs. mentoring, “being a better bus driver”—are charming, relatable, and make the lessons unforgettable. His passion for teaching radiates from every page, and I felt both challenged and inspired. This is someone who cares deeply about people actually learning.

Johnson hammers home the idea of replacing traditional methods with engaging, visual, hands-on ones. However, even those repeated messages come from a place of conviction, and I didn’t mind too much. What stood out most was how practical this book is. From chunking information to reducing latency between teaching and application, Johnson offers real tools you can implement tomorrow.

If you’re a corporate trainer, HR leader, apprenticeship instructor, or anyone who’s ever sighed through a dull slideshow, Training Design Simplified is for you. Johnson’s voice is honest, warm, and seasoned, and he delivers a roadmap that’s not just smart—it’s humane. He believes we can do better, and after reading this, so do I. It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to not just train workers, but truly teach them.

Pages: 160 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0F26BL4K7