The Science of Storytelling
Why Stories Make Us Human, and How to Tell Them Better
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The Science of Storytelling
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Narrated by:
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Will Storr
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By:
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Will Storr
About this listen
SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
‘If you want to write a novel or a script, read this book’ Sunday Times
‘The best book on the craft of storytelling I’ve ever read’ Matt Haig
‘Rarely has a book engrossed me more, and forced me to question everything I’ve ever read, seen or written. A masterpiece’ Adam Rutherford
Why stories make us human and how to tell them better.
There have been many attempts to understand what makes a good story – but few have used a scientific approach.
In this incisive, thought-provoking book, award-winning writer Will Storr demonstrates how master storytellers manipulate and compel us.
Applying dazzling psychological research and cutting-edge neuroscience to the foundations of our myths and archetypes, he shows how we can use these tools to tell better stories – and make sense of our chaotic modern world.
INCLUDES NEW MATERIAL.
©2019 Will Storr (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"One of my absolute favourite writers." (Decca Aitkenhead)
"There’s nothing else quite like Will’s approach, with its illuminating, scientific take on storytelling. All writers, no matter what their level of experience, are likely to go away with a new understanding that will deepen and nourish their work." (Craig Pearce, screenwriter of Strictly Ballroom, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby)
"Storr is irascibly good company, and has something approaching genius for marshalling his material." (Sunday Times)
What listeners say about The Science of Storytelling
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Moosa
- 07-02-20
Opening your mind to the basics of storytelling
Overall a good book to understand the basics of a great storytelling. The introduction is well structured and easy to follow. As the book progresses in the chapters, it became quite disjointed. I will listen to it again.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Rob T
- 11-03-20
Very insightful
Well thought out, brilliantly researched. This book is an excellent follow up to Will Store's previous book 'selfie'. Human nature explored through the stories we tell. Fascinating stuff.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Roger D.
- 29-10-19
own dog food he did not eat!
As the book was about driving narratives it is odd that he didn't write it as a kind of story. There is some good stuff but I struggled to pay attention. The narration is too forced. Shame because I have enjoyed Storr's other work.
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18 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kayley Lyndle
- 11-09-21
Storr is a genius
This is a brilliant book not only for writers but for anyone who wants a fascinating answer to the question 'what is it to be human?' I have read it several times now and learned more each time. It is beautifully written and beautifully narrated by the author. It is one of my favourite books and definitely in my audible library.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Shiny Things Reviews
- 27-01-21
This is a must-read if you got a story to tell...
I'm always right (well, most of the time :-) ) and my brother is usually wrong... sounds familiar?! Well, after reading this book I understand why! A must-read for aspiring story tellers, screenwriters, and for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of human psychology associated with the story telling. I write for a YouTube channel and this book gave me a fresh perspective on how to approach my scripts. And Yes, I'll buy this book for my brother as well!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mr. Farren K. Perkins
- 22-03-23
Light on storytelling, even lighter on science
Some interesting pockets of knowledge on storytelling telling history, theory and techniques, with some great examples, but quite unfocused as a book.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Miss Amy F Danson
- 29-04-20
Excellent
I loved this book so much that I immediately started listening to it from the beginning again. Very compelling.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. J. A. Ball
- 01-06-19
Fascinating and insightful
I was working on a storytelling speech project for my Toastmasters club and thought this might make good research material. Really, I think it is much more about writing stories and understanding story structure and value, so it wasn't especially helpful to my project but it was profoundly interesting and insightful.
I haven't come across Will Storr before but I will definitely be checking out some of his other books now and also adding this to my re-listen list. Even if you're not a writer, we build our world and concepts of reality on stories and understanding that more is incredibly valuable.
One of my biggest passions is understanding why we are who we are and why we do what we do and to that end, this book delivered more than I had expected. Highly recommended and definitely essential reading to professional writers who want to be successful.
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15 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Leah Lotous
- 07-01-21
Recommended
Easy read with deep ideas.
With very organised chapter structure.
Lovely narration by the author.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John Shields
- 28-03-20
Probably a great book, but recording skips
Despite being fully downloaded, and progressing apparently at normal speed second by second, the recording skips words, and is impossible to listen to. Don’t buy until Audible have fixed this.
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