The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human: A unified theory about why storytelling evolved

Storytelling Animal draws on neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology to explain why humans are compelled to tell stories. In the book, Jonathan Gottschall explains why it evolved, its uses in society, and how we react to stories at a biological level. I found this book while looking for research about the neurological basis for what humans perceive as beautiful. This book doesn't promise or deliver that, but the premise was close (and interesting) enough that I decided to read it. Though it isn't a marketing book, its information about how people process stories is directly applicable to branding and company narrative. If you have the spare bandwidth, this is a fun read with unexpectedly useful information for founders.

Reading this book now and have been interested to learn how good storytelling maps with what people actually want to spend their leisure time lost in vs. what they might say they do. For example, someone might daydream about being a professional athlete, eating donuts and beer without gaining any weight, and never encounter any conflict in life. However, that would make for a very dull story to read. Stories require conflict, and people love hearing / reading about how conflict arises and how a protagonist resolves it.

Bill Gurley says this book is amazing.

@_jacksmith Well, that's validating :)

Bill Gurley says this book is amazing.

@_jacksmith Well, that's validating :)