The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better

Good book for anyone who wants to write, but a great book for anyone who wants to get into publishing. It answers the questions, "what do people want to read and why do they want it?" If you want to be a professional in any field of publishing, you'd better know the answers to these questions. The book is full of the latest evolutionary psychology. There's plenty of research-based theories you can rely on scientifically, but the author does take a slant toward his pet theories As a reader, you have to be discerning enough to know the difference. If you can do that, this books is invaluable.

Here are the reasons why you should buy this book: -It has helpful scientific information on how our brains respond to elements of story. -There are multiple examples and facts that I wrote down to peruse later. -There are real strategies you can implement in your writing. Reasons you might not love it: -Talks about film quite a bit. -Like most craft books, sections could be removed to trim it down. Still, it's one of the more helpful craft books I've read this year.

This book is a scientific approach to the theory of creative writing. The greatest appeal of Will Storr’s "The Science of Storytelling" lies in its scientific exploration—based on insights from neuroscience and psychology—of creative techniques that have often been discussed in terms of rules of thumb or intuition, and in its systematization of the fundamental mechanisms behind “why humans are drawn to stories.” From this perspective, the book’s appeal can be summarized in the following three points: 1. Utilizing the brain’s cognitive mechanisms 2. Moving Beyond Sensationism 3. A Universal Understanding of Humanity Another distinctive feature of this book is its abundance of references. Works such as Kazuo Ishiguro’s "The Remains of the Day" and the film "Citizen Kane" are cited repeatedly throughout the text. Even when the references are to stories the reader hasn’t read or seen, the book provides a rough overview of the plots of these literary and cinematic masterpieces, making it a book that any reader who loves stories can enjoy—which I find particularly appreciated. The book’s conclusion is that “a compelling story is one in which the brain makes the reader feel that they are a moral hero,” and, on the other hand, “it is a portrayal of a ‘person,’ and to portray a ‘person’ means, without exception, to look squarely at that person’s flaws and to have the character experience, in their entirety, the fate brought about by those flaws.” Without a doubt, now this book is well worth reading.

Mindblowing book.

One of the best books I've read about storytelling and writing

This is a wonderful book discussing the art of storytelling and why it is.

First, this is a great book about the connection between consciousness and narrative. Not quite as neurocognitively scientific as I hoped, but the research conclusions and principles are clearly stated. The content gets 5 stars! The audiobook and narration gets 4+ stars (a little slow in the cadence for my ears, but otherwise candy for the ears). The Kindle gets 2 stars. I got the Kindle with the discounted audible book and boy am I glad I did! There are entire pages apparently absent from the Kindle version that are clearly narrated in the audiobook. At first I thought my hallucinated version of the real world was to blame, but the words I hear are simply not in print - and the context verifies that something is missing. C'mon Amazon! Just because it's less expensive and electronic doesn't mean the book has to be incomplete! Please do better!

First of all, this book is for everyone, not just writers. It delves into how our minds and our personal (self told) storyline connects us to the world around us. Our life experience comes from the narrator in our head. You can become a great writer by keeping concepts introduced in this book in mind with your character Arcs and story line. You can also become very in tune with human behavior in the real world and be more influential if you understand everyone around you assumes themself a protagonist in their own life. We all unknowing narrate our lives in our heads, naming ourselves the good guy with honorable goals in all our endeavors and finding an antagonist we must overcome. This motivates our actions and is our driving life force. You can learn how to appease to others’ driving life force and be more influential as a person and writer.

Muy buen libro. Me sorprendió. Ayuda a lograr una mejor mirada sobre el mundo.

I love the way that Will Storr writes about how our brain tells stories and how the interpretations of them can depend on who is talking, who is thinking, and that we usually narrate taking parties. Our brains are not trustworthy at all and getting to know it is essencial for living a healthy life with peace of mind.

The art of storytelling is needed where you need to keep your audience engaged. In case you are frequently giving presentations or speeches or you are in the field of written communication, book author, or even journalist, this book is a must read. It's hard to find engaging books on this subject, and that's what makes this book a bestseller. Through this book, you will learn what the different parts of a story are and how you can use them to improve your writing or oratory skills. Keep reading it while you practice your skills. Over the years, you will find that you have re-read it multiple times and every time you learned how to implement an idea into your work.

The book information is as awesome as Chris talks. You perform and feel better during negotiation once you have learned even some of the points

Great book, useful not just for writing but as well to understand the process of communication and interaction in many fields, business and personal life included