Product Description
This book's combination of radical storytelling techniques and practical examples of how to carry them out in various ministry settings forges an exciting new path for the emerging church. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Essential Source for Storytelling
Miller asks a new question:

How do we meet and intersect with our youth and their experiences? In a world that questions facts, and where new experiences are needed in order to keep our youth engaged, there needs to be a shift in teaching styles.

This book provides any leader with every step that is needed to make a change. Everything from teaching outlines, how to provide an experiential setting for learning, and how to engage every thinking and learning style after the narrative is read is included and can be used for life application.

Miller suggests that experiences, which are interactive and relational, should be the basis for ministry as it will engage and educate. Even with all of this, there is something more. This type of ministry places trust in the learner so that they can wrestle with the narrative and derive meaning that speaks to their experiences. This is the beauty in teaching from a story foundation. It allows for teaching to become more missional - it allows teachers to teach like missionaries do. By engaging their culture, speaking their language, and becoming apart of their community, personal experiences are enabled and there is a greater emotional attachment to Jesus' story.

He asks a very poignant question:

"Do we trust our people and the Holy Spirit enough to allow them to think for themselves?"

From a jr. high standpoint, are we willing to allow experiences to begin and form without seeing the fruit of our work? Are we willing to allow the high school, or young adult ministry to be the final stages in personal decision to follow and live like Jesus?

Experiential Storytelling is just that - creating experience from sharing our story and, more importantly, God's story with those around us. This book is a must-own for any leader that wants to teach from a "storying"perspective as it will provide guidance, application, and insight into this wonderful form of communicating.

Fascinating Concept, But Largely Uninspiring
First of all, I'm not a youth leader. Experiential Storytelling by Mark Miller is a book written by a youth leader, made by youth leaders (Youth Specialties), and seemingly for other youth leaders. With that said, I didn't completely get it.

I tried to put myself in the shoes of a youth leader, but I couldn't escape the feeling that, regardless of a person's profession, learning how to use narrative to teach should have universally applicable principles for everyone.

The concept of experiential storytelling is a fascinating one that I was hoping to explore and glean for my own ministry. However, I was left disappointed upon finishing the book. There seemed to be little explanation as to the history of experiential storytelling, including its strong precedent in the Bible, and even less on the practical steps for how to do it. Mostly, I was looking for steps to follow or a model to study and adopt. I found none of that. The author did provide a few examples of how he had used experiential storytelling (and seen others in ministry use it), but the examples, admittedly, were uninspiring and not that detailed. Perhaps, I am too pragmatic, but without any specific model or precedent, it was hard to figure out how to replicate such stories in my own life.

I agree with another reviewer who said that this book probably isn't for everyone; however, I would contend that it could have been for everyone. Miller could probably take these concepts, with a few more years of life experience, and expand upon them to create a longer, more in-depth book on the topic of experiential storytelling. And that would be a book I would gladly read.

Another Chapter...
"The Gospel has come to life for everyone involved."-Mark Miller
That quote in many ways sums up this book for me. This book is about telling a story, and not just any story...the Greatest Story Ever Told. The Gospel.

Frederick Buechner said, "There is perhaps no better proof of the existence of God then the way that year after year He survives the way his professional friends promote Him." In his book, Miller touches on how we as a society have changed and how, all to often, the church has failed to adapt in the way that it communicates Gospel. Are we bringing the story to life for a new generation? Can they see that their stories are connected to His Story? Has the Gospel "come to life" for them?

Perhaps the key to the whole thing is found in the latter part of that initial quote, ...to everyone involved." Ultimately, experiential storytelling(in my understanding of the book) is about inviting people into the story. Not simply as observers, witnesses or spectators but as participants. It is as we participatein the story that we experience God in a way that is life changing. The Bible uses experiential language when it says to "Taste and see that the Lord, He is good. (Psa.34:8) Everyone deserves to hear the gospel in their "heart language" and for this generation-it is experience.

This book isn't a thesis. It is not necessarily a Christian "Classic" (my apologies to the author)either. What I did find was a well written book that acts as yet another chapter in a very important conversation that is taking place. The kind of conversations that must be happening within the Church if they are to assist travelers on this spiritual journey we call "life". The facts of the Story will never change but the way in which it is told? It absolutely must.

Some good ideas on rethinking public speaking
This book has been great at getting me to rethink how to prepare talks and add stories to the mix.I wish there had been some more practical examples based on specific bible passages or examples which can be used within a specific talk.

That being said, the book has really gotten me to rethink the bible stories and figure out how to make them feel real to people.How to get a group of teens or adults to experience that they are a part of the story.

The example that continues to stay on my mind is bringing teens together to re-enact the Jesus story by blindfolding everyone for an entire evening until they find a Jesus character who saves them.

Some good nuggets...
A good summary of what most people in ministry already immersed in a postmodern/postchristian culture understand.Well articulated though - a few highlights for me...

- The real beauty of experiential education is that it places trust in the learner to derive meaning from his or her experience. As a learning environment is created, the active focus shifts from the educator to the student.
- Truth divorced from experience will always dwell in the realms of doubt. (Henry Drause)
- We were created with a curiosity, a complexity, and a need for meaning
- Whether we are Christian's or not, our hearts were created to vibrate with the story of God.
- Every child is an artist. The child is how to remain an artist once he grows up (Pablo Picasso)
- Never let formal education get in the way of your learning (Mark Twain)
- Embracing this new mode of communication means worship becomes collaboration, faith now becomes a journey, and the gospel is now communicated in multiple forms of media
... Read more

Product Description
The Springboard: How Storytelling Ignites Action in Knowledge-Era Organizations is the first book to teach storytelling as a powerful and formal discipline for organizational change and knowledge management. The book explains how organizations can use certain types of stories ("springboard" stories) to communicate new or envisioned strategies, structures, identities, goals, and values to employees, partners and even customers.



Readers will learn techniques by which they can help their organizations become more unified, responsive, and intelligent. Storytelling is a management technique championed by gurus including Peter Senge, Tom Peters and Larry Prusak. Now Stephen Denning, an innovator in the new discipline of organizational storytelling, teaches how to use stories to address challenges fundamental to success in today's information economy.



* Provides innovative and powerful tools which can effect organizational change
* Helps organizations share knowledge critical to success in the information economy
* First book on a major emerging trend in organizational change and K.M. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

How to use storytelling to accomplish corporate communication goals
Stephen Denning is the senior executive responsible for knowledge management at the World Bank. As the author of several well-received books on the power of corporate storytelling, Denning is a recognized guru and pretty much dominates the storytelling franchise among business writers. He believes that simple stories, told face-to-face, possess a remarkable ability to convey information so that people readily understand it. Just as important, stories can be extremely inspirational if you tell them the right way. Use this powerful narrative technique to introduce new organizational strategies or change plans, to detail a corporate vision, to motivate employees, and to communicate with customers and other key external audiences. If you handle corporate communication, this book shows you how to put storytelling to work to boost your performance. We regard Denning as an innovative thinker and communicator, and recommends his thoughtful, valuable book. In fact, this book is worthwhile for anyone who wants to learn how to communicate more effectively, regardless of the purpose or circumstances.

ponderous
I found Denning's book ponderous and self-indulgent.The central idea is fine, and the Appendices (17 pages total) have some excellent material.However, this would have been better presented as a 30-page handbook with the Appendices - not a rambling 196-page narrative that violates many of Denning's own story-telling rules.Heath & Heath's fine book, "Made to Stick", gives this book inexplicably effusive praise.Perhaps H&H read only the Appendices...

An Exceptional Guide to Organizational Transformation
I learned about this book after hearing author Steve Denning describe how he used story telling to inspire the World Bank to make knowledge management and sharing with clients a central part of its business model. Captivated by his powerful story, I wanted to learn more.I started by reading The Leader's Guide to Storytelling, which every leader should read and apply.That's a great book.

I noted at the back of the book that Mr. Denning offered to start conversations with his readers about storytelling. I quickly crafted a first attempt at a Springboard story and sent it to him by e-mail.I was delighted when Mr. Denning took the time to thoughtfully consider my story and raise questions to help me improve the story.From his questions, it was clear that I didn't really understand yet what a Springboard story is.

One of his suggestions was that I consider writing a book like The Springboard, so naturally I had to read this book next.Before completing the book, I found myself with a much more thorough understanding of Springboard stories and how to use stories to launch and achieve organizational change.If I had read The Springboard before crafting the first draft of my Springboard story, I could have avoided many of the errors he so kindly and gently pointed out to me.While The Leader's Guide to Storytelling has all of the elements about Springboard stories in it (along with many other types of essential stories that leaders need to tell), you need more context to appreciate what a Springboard story is.The Springboard gives you that context.

I highly recommend that you read The Springboard, and that you read it before you read The Leader's Guide to Storytelling.You'll make faster progress if you do.

The book has many valuable sides.You learn why stories work well both in terms of how listeners respond to them and the ways in which stories better capture reality than linear, abstract data.You also learn to craft a Springboard story and replace that story as your organization's performance improves in the Springboard subject area.That was one of the important lessons I had missed.My subject for the Springboard story is encouraging people to create 2,000 percent solutions.Yet that activity has gone so far that I need to describe it differently than I did when I first began talking about the subject in the 1990s.I need to build on where it is today as a mainstream activity creating billions in value and improving millions of lives around the world, rather than as the hope for the future based on limited experience that I originally used to describe it.

For most leaders, this book will teach you more about effective leadership than most MBA programs will.Don't miss it!

Here's why.In most organizations, the leader finds it hard to get anyone to do anything differently.The best method is for people to decide that they like the change and want to spearhead it themselves as though they thought of it first.A Springboard story is one of the very few methods for creating that psychological reality.Otherwise, you have to follow the advice of all those management theorists who tell you to hide innovation and change on the periphery and simply repeat yourself constantly hoping someone will eventually get the idea.

If you have to choose between reading Leading Change and The Springboard, take The Springboard.

If you are involved in knowledge management, this book has a second benefit.It describes successful ways of dealing with the many challenges of defining, creating interest in and delivering a helpful knowledge management process into a large organization.

As you read this book, realize that Mr. Denning is describing a special kind of story telling that isn't like what you are used to hearing around the campfire.Think of these stories as more like mini-cases in 50 words or less that point out an advantage that the hearer canquickly appreciate and seize.Once captured in the listener's mind, the listener then fills in the details in a way that makes the idea the listener's own.In this sense, storytelling isn't far removed from the psychology of subliminal suggestions . . . except that there's no subterfuge with these stories.

Some value, but the writing style makes this a boring read
Storytelling is an effective way to communicate ideas and gain buy-in, but the story has to be compelling enough to capture and hold attention.This book fails to capture and hold your attention because the author's writing style makes his story of discovering the positive impact of storytelling uninteresting.

There are some positives in the book.If you are involved in knowledge management, you may be able to follow the story a little better.Also, the appendix tells you the essential elements of a springboard story and takes stories in the book and dissects them into those elements.Finally, the book touches both on crafting the story and delivering the story, though neither is treated with a lot of depth.

If you already have experience with storytelling and want a reference on how to apply to business, this book could be useful.However, I would first look for a used copy to purchase.

Knowledge Management Classic work
Stephen Denning describes in a more or less chronological way how he discovered the power of storytelling as a tool to change people's views and decisions.Of course, storytelling has been a (if not the) major means for transmitting wisdom and knowledge throughout the generations since the dawn of time.What Denning has done in this book, however, is both to popularize storytelling as a management technique suitable for contemporary change agents, but also to provide some analysis as to what constitutes a "springboard" story--one that is effective in effecting change.His appendices provide some matrixed data to support his analyses and guide the reader in implementation.Some of the factors making "springboard" stories effective are intuitive.A true story is more effective; a story involving one's own organization is more effective... This book is not a cookbook for devising/using these stories, rather it is more descriptive and represents more of an initial foray into the value and use of storytelling.It could use a sequel and, perhaps, a statistical analysis.Furthermore, it can be less than an exciting read.Indeed, one wonders if there is too much detail or too much autobiography in parts.Nonetheless, it is a fundamental classic of present-day Knowledge Management and provides an ingress into the fascinating world of applying human psychology in organization management. ... Read more

Product Description
VISUAL STORYTELLING: VIDEOGRAPHY AND POST PRODUCTION IN THE DIGITAL AGE combines a thorough exploration of essential storytelling concepts with detailed instruction in practical technical skills. Without limiting its focus to a particular range of equipment, applications, or technology, this engaging text covers the key concepts, aesthetics, and techniques of single-camera field production and post production. It includes an abundance of unique images, useful learning tools, and real-life stories and suggestions from working experts. The accompanying DVD illustrates and expands on text concepts, with relevant video and audio footage for editing exercises. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

very satisfied
I received this product faster than expected and in great condition.I would buy from this seller again.

Arrived Late
I am a student and when I expect a package on Saturday or Monday it is because I need it by Monday, not Tuesday when it decided to show up. ... Read more

Product Description
Professional comic artists interpret scripts every day as they successfully transform the written word into the visual form. However, rarely do we get to examine the process that is unique to each artist. Unlike any other "how-to" book, Working Methods puts the minds of comic artists under the microscope, highlighting the intricacies of the creative process step by step. For this book, three short scripts are each interpreted in different ways by professional comic artists to illustrate the varied ways in which they "see" and "solve" the problem of making a script succeed in comic form. Working Methods documents the creative and technical choices Mark Schultz, Tim Levins, Jim Mahfood, Scott Hampton, Kelsey Shannon, Chris Brunner, Sean Murphy and Pat Quinn make as they tell a story, thus allowing comic fans, artists, instructors, and students into a world rarely explored. Hundreds of illustrated examples document the artists' processes, and interviews clarify their individual approaches regarding storytelling and layout choices. In Working Methods, the exercise may be simple, but the results are profoundly complex. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

good cartoon knowledge
This book is very interesting.It also gives you a opportunity to draw from a script without seeing how the artist did it.

A veritable font of information.
A wide range of artistic styles and working methods. Shows the entire process as well as a reproduction of the finished piece. Great book to own.

The creative process
A good resource.I would have liked there to be a greater variety of writers and styles - but what is there is a good foundation for new and developing writers.

Unique
This book is exactly what the title says.

There are 3 scripts, each penciled by 2 or 3 different artists. There is also an interview with each artist about his Working Methods on that particular script and in general.

A great read, they should make more like this.

Like the Books title says
I enjoyed this book very much. What is interesting is that although the artist's styles range from straight to cartoony, they all face the same storytelling issues. And that's what the majority of comics concern themselves with: storytelling.

Each artist gives a rundown on how he approaches the comic he has to draw, from the types of pencils and pens/brushes used to even, in some cases, the size of paper, down to the finishes. It's all very clear. If you can't be at the side of the artist when he creates the work, this is a great substitute.

I do have one quibble, despite a five star rating (for editorial content). For whatever reason, the publishers chose to present the question asked in a plain text and the artist's answers in italics which is inverse to how these things are usually presented. But that's a minor quibble (maybe it only bugs me). Otherwise, buy this book. You won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
Take a satirical scamper through organizational life in the midst of  changing times, brought to you by master storyteller and former World Bank executive Steve Denning. With wisdom and a healthy dose of wit, Denning introduces a cast of furry characters who together learn the fine art of change through storytelling in their quest to overcome obstacles, generate enthusiasm and teamwork, share knowledge, and ultimately lead their company into a new era of success and significance. Through the stories of Squirrel Inc., readers will learn that the ability to tell the right story at the right time can determine the outcome of any major change effort. In each chapter Denning's squirrels learn to use storytelling to address leadership challenges:

• How to bring about change
• How to communicate who you are
• How to transmit values
• How to foster collaboration
• How to stop rumors
• How to share knowledge
• How to lead your organization into the future

Customer Reviews (8)

Squirrel Inc
Text arrived in good condition and in a timely manner.Excellent read for anyone interested in the profession of storytelling.

So this squirrel walks into a bar....
While I definitely agree with Denning's overall premise of honing the business narrative because it is so important, he told it through a ridiculous dialogue between squirrels.The tips in the margins are extremely helpful, but I would rather have read a list of those strategies of good storytelling, rather than listen to squirrels worry about their nut storage corporation.Th dialogue was purely awful and rather unbelievable.The idea of Squirrels running a company isn't even the real problem, it's how the story is constructed that makes it so terrible.I love Denning's other works, and I was really disappointed with this one.

Engaging Hearts - Earning Commitment
In "Squirrel Inc.: A Fable of Leadership through Storytelling" Stephen Denning describes, in the spirit of a fable about squirrels leading change at Squirrel, Inc., how to use stories to engage constituents and earn their commitment to change.
Leadership, both formal and informal, is about engaging hearts, convincing minds, and earning committed actions.While we linear, logical thinkers are more prone toward selling through convincing logic (aka, `data'), both emotional intelligence and marketing research suggest that people buy (and buy-into) with their emotions before they commit with their minds.Effective stories touch the heart!Denning, uses the different requirements subsequent situations in the `change journey' at Squirrel, Inc. to demonstrate different story structures.Differing leadership objectives include: Sparking Organizational Change; Revealing Who You Are and Earning Trust; Getting Individuals to Work Together; Transmitting Values; Taming the Grapevine; Sharing Knowledge; and Creating a Future.To help readers recognize and remember appropriate story structures, Denning includes summaries of story structures at the end of each chapter.Much like most of us have graduated from black and white to colored presentations, effective leaders are moving from influencing solely through data/information and graduating to telling effective stories.
I recommend "Squirrel, Inc." for every leader who recognizes their need for engaging both the hearts and the minds of their team members.

A Humorous Delivery of Leadership Storytelling
This book has only two problems that keep it from being a masterpiece:

1.Mr. Denning later wrote The Leader's Guide to Storytelling which covers the same material much more thoroughly and helpfully; and

2.The fable is built around a mythical company of squirrels that provides nut burying services but is having problems.I had a hard time getting my mind around that metaphor.By contrast when Dr. Spencer Johnson teaches me about mice being in trouble when their cheese is moved, I don't have the same problem with the metaphor.

I recommend that you mainly use this book as a humorous side trip into leadership story telling.If you don't fell like you need such a humorous journey, you can certainly skip this book.

If you do skip Squirrel Inc., I urge you to read Mr. Denning'stwo "serious" books on the subject in this order:Start with The Springboard and then move on to The Leader's Guide to Storytelling.I've written reviews of both of those books recently if you want to check them out.Both are superb and are must reads for any leader who wants to be effective.

If you have to choose between reading Leading Change and The Springboard, choose The Springboard.

Nuts R Us
Think about it. Who are among the greatest storytellers throughout history? My own list includes Homer, Plato, Chaucer, Aesop, Jesus, Dante, Boccaccio, the Brothers Grimm, Confucius, Abraham Lincoln, Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), Joel Chandler Harris, L. Frank Baum, and most recently, E.B. White. Whatever the genre (epic, parable, fable, allegory, anecdote, etc.), each used exposition, description, and narration to illustrate what they considered to be fundamental truths about the human condition.

In his previous work, The Springboard, Denning focuses on "how storytelling ignites action in knowledge-led organizations" and does so with uncommon erudition, precision, and eloquence. His narrative covers a period of approximately three years during which he used what he calls "springboard" stories to "spark organizational change" at The World Bank. More specifically, to forge a consensus within that organization to support the design and then implementation of effective knowledge management, first for itself and then for its clients worldwide. How he accomplished that objective is in and of itself a fascinating "story" but the book's greater value lies in what he learned in process, lessons which are directly relevant to virtually all other organizations (regardless of size or nature) which struggle to "do more with less and do it faster" in the so-called Age of Information. Maximizing use of their collective intellectual capital is most often the single most effective way to do that.

In this volume, Denning uses many of the same devices which Orwell does in Animal Farm: He creates a stressful situation to which anthropomorphic animals respond; the lead characters discuss what to do; strategies are selected; conflicts and crises immediately develop; tension is increased by the perils the lead characters encounter; ultimately, the situation is resolved. In Animal Farm, the pigs prevail. In Squirrel Inc.,....

Whereas Orwell's purpose is to dramatize the evils of totalitarianism, Denning's purpose is to give "detailed advice on how to craft and perform a story that can spark transformational change in an organization" by examining six different kinds of storytelling "which illustrate the impact of storytelling on our work and our lives." Although this is a fable of leadership, it is important to keep in mind that (a) everyone throughout any organization tells stories of various kinds each day; therefore (b) the value of the information which Denning provides and the recommendations he makes is by no means limited to senior-level executives.

Why a fable? When considering how he could best communicate the various kinds of stories (e.g. "springboard" stories that communicate complex ideas and spark action), their specific uses in modern organizations, and their relevant similarities and differences, Denning "quickly discovered that conveying an understanding of seven types of stories across four or five different dimensions represented a level of complexity not well adapted to text-book style presentation."

I include that excerpt because many of those who read this book will also find themselves in situations in which they are preparing to make an especially important presentation and use of a traditional format is not appropriate. Their audience will not respond as well to the "textbook-style" as they will to a entertaining as well as informative narrative which seeks to achieve one or more of these objectives:

To spark action
To communicate who the speaker is
To transmit values
To get everyone working together
To share knowledge
To "tame the grapevine"
To lead people into the future

Here's the situation. Diana is a fast-track executive at Squirrel Inc. who is frustrated by her inability to convince senior-management to transform the company's core business from helping squirrels to bury nuts to storing nuts for them. Why should it? Because approximately 50% of the nuts buried are lost, either because squirrels forget where they buried them or the nuts are dug up by human gardeners. Great opportunity for Squirrel Inc. She shares her frustrations with Bartender who is the owner/host of a nectar tavern located high in an oak tree near the Squirrel Inc. headquarters. (He is also this book's narrator and thus, in several respects, a surrogate for Denning.) Throughout the remainder of the book, Denning focuses on Diana and Bartender's joint efforts to use effective storytelling to mobilize the support needed to transform Squirrel Inc.

Because Denning is himself a master storyteller, never does his narrative become precious, cute, quaint, darling, etc. Credit him with wit, style, grace, and -- yes -- intellectual rigor. His characters may be squirrels but the relevance of his material to human experience is profound: "The underlying reason for the affinity between leadership and storytelling is simple: narrative -- unlike abstraction and analysis -- is inherently collaborative. Storytelling helps leaders work with other individuals as coparticipants, not merely as objects or underlings. Storytelling helps strengthen leaders' connectedness with the world. Isn't this what all leaders need -- a connectedness with the people they are seeking to lead?"

I especially appreciate Denning's provision of a chart ("Seven High-Value Forms of Organizational Storytelling," pages 150-153) which clearly and cleverly summarizes all of his core concepts and specific suggestions. It serves as a useful reminder that the most effective story is one which has a crystal clear objective and includes the appropriate elements (e.g. problem to be solved, situation to be explained, value of the information provided). The story must also meet certain requirements of the given purpose. For example, provision of relevant background information and an analysis of current situation before proposing a future course of action, especially one which may seem bold and threatening to others.

For whatever reasons, only in recent years has there been an awareness and appreciation of the importance of the business narrative. Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Annette Simmons' The Story Factor, Doug Lipman's Improving Your Storytelling, and Storytelling in Organizations co-authored by John Seely Brown, Denning, Katarina Groh, and Laurence Prusak. ... Read more

Product Description

Make storytelling part of your daily K-8 curriculum while engaging all readers and writers! Mini-lessons at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels help teachers weave storytelling into today s standards-based classroom and construct their own literacy lessons. Reluctant and striving readers and writers, English language learners, and even advanced storytellers will move from developing to delivering a variety of stories.

Performance literacy teaching children how to write and perform stories works across the curriculum and develops literacy skills in language, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, speaking, and listening. Complete with a story index, curriculum tie-ins, digital storytelling tips, a companion website, and an audio CD with 70 minutes of stories and songs from the authors and other well-known performers and educators. Don t just teach literacy perform it! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A recommended educational manual
Literacy is more than just reading. "Performance Literacy Through Storytelling" is a guide to embracing storytelling and performing when trying to teach younger students the importance and joy of reading literature. The performance arts can also do much for students outside of literacy, such as learning to express oneself, or engage in cooperation and creative thinking. A complete and comprehensive guide for teachers and educators about using performance arts as a part of the literary learning experience, "Performance Literacy Through Storytelling" is a recommended educational manual. ... Read more

Product Description

“As usual these two future-finders have their fi ngers on the pulse of what’s happening--and what we need to know about. In every business, in every organization, the seven most important words these days are: ‘But wait! A story goes with it!’ You need to read this book to fi nd out why.”

—Alan Webber, Co-founder, Fast Company magazine

“A great story sparks our imagination, challenges us to think, and resonates with our collective conscience. Ryan Mathews and Watts Wacker’s story about telling stories does exactly this. It is an essential guidebook for capturing and conveying the essence of corporate identities and enriching brands.”

—Paul A. Laudicina, Managing Officer and Chairman of the Board, A.T. Kearney

Storytelling is the universal human activity.Every society, at every stage of history, has told stories–and listened to them intently, passionately. Stories are how people tell each other who they are, where they came from, how they’re unique, what they believe. Stories capture their memories of the past and their hopes for the future. Stories are one more thing, too: They are your most powerful, most underutilized tool for competitive advantage.Whether you know it or not, your business is already telling stories. What’s Your Story? will help you take control of those stories and make them work for you. Legendary business thinkers Ryan Mathews and Watts Wacker reveal how to craft an unforgettable story…create the back story that makes it believable…make sure your story cuts through today’s relentless bombardment of consumer messages…and gets heard, remembered, and acted on.

• THE TEN FUNCTIONS OF STORYTELLING
  Discovering what stories can do for your business
• THE ABOLITION OF CONTEXT
  Telling stories when the past no longer defines the future

• THE FIVE MOST IMPORTANT STORY THEMES
  Leveraging themes your audiences will understand and believe

• APPLIED STORYTELLING 101
  Storytelling for your industry, your company, your brand, and you

• MASTERING YOUR STORYTELLER’S TOOLBOX
  Making your stories more compelling, more believable, and downright unforgettable

Use Storytelling to Gain Powerful Competitive Advantage in Today’s Increasingly Skeptical Marketplace

• Leverage the incredible power of storytelling in marketing, sales, investor relations, recruitment, change management, and more
• Indispensable techniques for every CxO, entrepreneur, and marketing, sales, and communications executive
• The latest breakthrough book from best-selling futurists Ryan Mathews and Watts Wacker

Customer Reviews (8)

Academic, historical and Good
This book certainly gives a great deal of info on the history and relevance of stories. What kind work and what kind don't work. If you want to understand how stories can help you get your message across this book is a good starter.

That's My Story - I'm sticking to it.
A young woman decided to step out on her own, ending 12 years of service as a public employee.She was very nervous and inexperienced in the business of marketing.She strived to learn but was ever mindful of the expense involved in starting a small business.Frugality lead her to the public library, where she dutifully studied the bountiful offerings available to her.She chose What's Your Story, co-written by Mathews and Wacker.

Over the next three weeks, the young entrepreneur kept to her reading during the block of time she dedicated to educating herself.Once she finished the last page, she slowly closed the book and reflected."This book was a colossal waste of my time," she thought to herself."Indeed, I have learned that you can't judge a book by its cover."

Check the book out of the library before investing in the purchase.

Market Your Product with Stories
"It's the same old story." Well, perhaps it is, but that doesn't make it any less effective. In fact, explain futurists and storytellers Ryan Mathews and Watts Wacker, the best way to convey your message is to use archetypical story themes derived from human experience. After all, who are Harley-Davidson's outlaw riders but modern day Robin Hoods? And isn't Apple just another warrior-like David attempting to defeat a Goliath-like Microsoft by offering the world superior graphics? You can tell a powerful story by learning basic storytelling techniques and crafting them to fit your message. Mathews and Wacker outline these basics, from leveraging themes and shaping your message, to finding the right context, and making it relatable and believable. Ironically, for a book about storytelling it is, at times, convoluted and a bit verbose. Even so, getAbstract suggests it to readers who want their business stories to have happy endings.

The first and last book you should read on Brands ... and more
My first Wacker/Mathews book was Deviant's Advantage and the only reason I read What's Your Story was because of who wrote it. In WYS Mathews and Wacker get to the heart of connecting with people from a product/brand context.

If I were to suggest to ANYONE what the first and the last book that they should read would be, then WYS is that book. It presents one of the most intellectual but easy to understand analysis of what is truly meant by "brand" and the writing is completely engaging.

Though this book is more than just a Branding book, all that I can end with is that I've read, worked, and studied a great deal in marketing but no other book seems to get the right story across as to what a brand really is than does WYS.

AmateurEffort--Where was the Editor?
I have a stack of new biz books to read, but I grabbed this one first because I thought the message was important for me to learn.This was a huge disappointment.I had planned to loan it to a networkd of colleagues, but instead, I'm thinking of xeroxing the one page with content & throwing the book itself into the trash.

Did the publisher not require a synopsis, outline & sample chapter?Where was the editor, if not in the process, what about after the manuscript was presented?Why is there no index?That would have been helpful, because after I finished this overwritten, self-indulgent, tiny tome, I looked for an index to try to find the basic content I seemed to have missed.

When I taught college, unlike my colleagues who required volume, I assigned student papers with a maximum number of pages--never more than two.I figured it was important to understand exactly what my students knew, & in all the different classes I taught, I never discovered a student who really had more than two pages of real knowledge to impart on one subject.

The authors of this book have one 45 minutes talk in them, & certainly no more than two pages of content.The rest is fill, & it appears someone talked into a recorder instead of bothering to compose the prose.

I really wanted to understand the concepts of storytelling, the classification & purposes of business myths, & how to develop one suitable for my business & how to implement it.

"Storytelling for Dummies" would have suited my purposes.Content, content, content. ... Read more

Product Description
The first professional book to explore and analyze digital storytelling across interactive media and genres-this book examines how digital storytelling draws on classic narrative techniques and utilizes interactive digital technologies to create today's entertainment.

Digital Storytelling explains key strategies for conveying narrative through digital technologies, based on personal experience and numerous case studies, providing project managers, interactive content designers, and writers with the tools necessary for planning a successful interactive project, including ideas for product development and conceptualization.

Detailed planning processes for all types of interactive projects are discussed, including videogames, massively multiplayer online games, the Internet, interactive TV, cross-media productions, smart toys, virtual reality, immersive environments, wireless devices, kiosks, and DVDs. The book also covers topics such as: structure, characters and emotions; tackling projects for children; finding work and staying employed; and more.

Miller has written Digital Storytelling for the professional and the student, and details what interactive content developers and project managers need to know in a clear, enthusiastic manner.

*Covers case studies, providing numerous ideas for creating and managing engrossing, interactive entertainment products from development to production

*Explains the uses of digital storytelling for both entertainment and entertainment blends -- projects that teach, inform, and promote

*Takes an international approach to digital entertainment, exploring ground-breaking projects in Asia, Africa and Europe as well as in North America ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Digital Storytelling
Whether your new to writing or producing interactive programs or a seasoned pro, into fiction or non-fiction, this book is the best there is in explaining this new craft.

It's not the Future anymore, it's the Now
DIGITAL STORYTELLING
Carolyn Handler Miller

From sitting in front of the camp fire to sitting in front of a computer, story-telling has always been rewarding, yet often frustrating.The challenges of telling a story using different media, particularly a new one, can be intimidating, especially to someone who wasn't born with a mouse in their mouth.

Not to worry, though, for in the first chapter of Carolyn Miller's book, she lays those concerns to rest by noting that interactive stories are similar to myths, rituals, and games.I immediately felt better and dove right into this comprehensive book.

DIGITAL STORYTELLING is valuable on a number of levels.
It's a scholarly revue and investigation of interactive media and thus an excellent resource for researchers.
It explains the terminology and theories.
It offers specific tools for digital storytelling development of plot, structure, and characters.
It has guidelines for specific uses of digital storytelling such as information, education, and advertising.
Children's projects have their own helpful chapter.

As a story consultant moving more into games design work, and as a writer desiring to keep up with the latest techniques and technologies, I know I'll be reaching for DIGITAL STORYTELLING a lot.And I know I'll always find it a rich resource of information and inspiration.

Good for a history class
Not a very playful book. In fact... it seems to follow the old playbook of how things are done. The same playbook that men/boys have written when it comes to gaming. Shoot first and ... questions? what questions? story? What's that? I already knew the material that was in this book. Didn't offer anything new for me. With this book... just a play an online game or grab a game off your shelf, read about the history of "interactive" media and computers and .. voila... you've read the book. For what I needed... this book just did not cover it. Time to lay some new ground in the gaming arena.

Informative Book by Pioneer in Field
An extremeley informative, clear, focused book by a pioneer in the field who covers all the bases.It's a useful tool for writers interested in new forms of storytelling.With Miller's lively writing style and illustrations, it's a great read as well!

Dr. Linda Seger, Script Consultant
Author of MAKING A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT
and seven other books

Indespensible
This book brings clarity to a complex and often confusing subject.After co-writing several CD-ROM games, I thought I knew what I needed to know about interactive entertainment.This book made me realize how much more there is to this world and the vast potential that's there for creating new forms of entertainment and education.Instead of making you feel overwhelmed by the possibilities, Ms. Miller lays it all out for you in ways that are not only informative but actually inspirational.The chapters are well organized and the real-world examples are plentiful.On the one hand, it's an indespensible reference for anyone who writes (or wants to write) interactive material.On the other, it works as a muse, helping you to see things in a new light and often sparking ideas.It's a must for those who want to work in this field. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: London : T.C. ... Read more

Product Description

Literacy Development in the Storytelling Classroom shows just how powerful a tool storytelling can be for building vital language skills—not just reading and writing, but speaking, listening, visual literacy, and information literacy as well. It is an exceptionally rich and rewarding resource that helps teachers and tellers work together to focus story time on language development.

Moving grade-by-grade from pre-K to middle school, Literacy Development in the Storytelling Classroom offers both research-based ideas and specific lesson plans for using storytelling to promote literacy learning. Lessons seamlessly integrate material from traditional domains of social studies, science, math, and language arts, while incorporating elements from the creative arts, such as music, visual arts, drama, dance, and folk crafts as both storytelling vehicles and curriculum extensions. The stories themselves in this collection are drawn from the full spectrum of the worldÕs cultures—every child is represented, and every child will benefit from the concepts and lessons in this remarkable book.

Product Description

A Bridge of Longing is a compelling history of how Yiddish storytelling became the politics of rescue for successive generations of displaced Jewish artists, embodying their fervent hopes and greatest fears in the languages of tradition. Its protagonists are modern writers who returned to storytelling in the hope of harnessing the folk tradition, and who created copies that are better than the original.

When the cultural revolution failed--as it did for Rabbi Nahman of Bratslaw in the summer of 1806 and for I. L. Peretz in the winter of 1899; for Kiev novelist Sholem Aleichem in 1890 and kibbutz novelist Yosl Birstein in 1960; for Polish-Jewish refugees Isaac Bashevis Singer and Jechiel Isaiah Trunk when they cast ashore in America--there seemed but one route out of the spiritual and creative impasse, and that was storytelling. Yiddish storytelling was a lost art, relegated to obscurity among religious texts and synagogue sermons, then willfully abandoned by Jewish rebels and immigrants seeking more cosmopolitan forms of expression. Thus its recovery is a tale of loss and redemption.

Behind the joyous weddings that end the fairy tales and romances of Rabbi Nahman, I. L. Peretz, Der Nister, and Abraham Sutzkever; beneath the folksy facade of holiday stories by I. M. Dik and Sholem Aleichem, the Bible Poems of Itzik Manger, the demon-monologues of I. B. Singer, there lies, according to David G. Roskies, an aesthetic and moral sensibility totally at odds with the coarse humor and conventional piety of the folk. Taken together, these writers and their deceptively simple folk narratives weave a pattern of rebellion, loss, and retrieval that Roskies calls "creative betrayal"--a pattern he traces from the weddings of Yiddish fantasy to the reinvented traditions of contemporary Jews. His book itself is a delightful expression of the art of storytelling--it is a warm and vivid account.

Product Description
Learn leadership Lincoln's way- with quick wit and great stories. ... Read more

Product Description
Apply universally accepted cinematic techniques to your Flash projects to improve the storytelling quotient in your entertainment, advertising (branding), and educational media. A defined focus on the concepts and techniques for production from story reels to the final project delivers valuable insights, time-saving practical tips, and hands-on techniques for great visual stories. Extensive illustration, step-by-step instruction, and practical exercises provide a hands-on perspective.
Explore the concepts and principles of visual components used in stories so you are fluent in the use of space, line, color, and movement in communicating emotion and meaning. Apply traditional cinematography techniques into the Flash workspace with virtual camera movements, simulated 3d spaces, lighting techniques, and character animation. Add interactivity using ActionScript to enhance audience participation.

* A unique focus on the principles and techniques of the visual art in storytelling.
* Concepts are illustrated with deconstruction of technical issues, step-by-step instruction, and exercises.
* Companion CD-ROM contains digital examples and media files for exercises ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Kindle customers, from the publishers customer service center
I emailed both Amazon and the publisher regarding the exercise files included on the CDROM from the printed version of the book.
Amazon referred me to the publisher and this is the response I received.

"Thank you for your inquiry.

Any of the free companion products are only available with the printed version of the product.So when an E-book is downloaded the free companion product are not included.

Please let me know if you have any other questions or need any further clarification."

Which is very strange since most companies make the exercise files available for download. This information should be listed on
The product page, to me it makes the ebook version worthless.

Wonderful book to learn animation
This is wonderful book to learn how to make movies and animation.The book assumes that you already know something about flash, but the great thing about this book is that it explains not only about how to make the popular internet flash movies, but how to make movies in general.Very easy to understand and it explains in very entertaining way.

It tackles every detail from howto design characters in your drawings but more so how to make your characters jump alive.You will learn lots of techniques from camera angles, perspective, and much more. It also explain steps by steps how to develop your storyline.It teaches you how to grab the attention of the viewer from beginning to end; which is very important as usually movies on the internet are intended to be very short.Overall, it is a fun read.

This is a great book for beginners to intermediate.

Valueable even if you don't use flash
I bought this because I create videos online, or help others create videos.

I've taken several cinematography courses, animation classes, and other courses that discuss the importance of camera work.

One thing this book does is it kind of puts all this stuff together in a logical sort of way.Meaning you'll learn exactly how to the lead eye of the person watching the movie, evoke a feeling space, and (most important) keep your viewer stimulated by using different camera movies and other techniques.

This is a great book, even if you don't use flash.

Buy it now.

Required for any Flash developer
Like most computer users and developers, I have the requisite500 lbs of books in my library. Sometimes it feels like many of these manuals weighs 30 lbs, and much of it is fluff.Bigger is not always better! That's a truism the author realizes - the book is just over 290 pages of distilled, must-have training.Look at it this way. You know Flash. You want to make a movie, short, ad or cartoon. You have no idea where to begin, how to plan your project, or even execute it correctly. After you read this book you'll be all set.Peter Jackson step aside. Guillermo del Toro take a vacation.

Well, maybe not, but you get the idea.Pick up "Flash Cinematic Techniques..." - you'll have plenty of help creating great animations.

Good book.
If you want to get started learning video techniques using Flash, this is a good, beginner's book. ... Read more

Product Description

Epic oral storytelling is an exciting new instructional method that complements existing ways of teaching. Oral Storytelling and Teaching Mathematics: Pedagogical and Multicultural Perspectives provides the first serious exploration of the role that oral storytelling can play in helping children learn mathematics.

Oral Storytelling and Teaching Mathematics contains two case studies of teachers telling epic oral stories to teach math to elementary and middle school students. The book also includes theoretical discussions of essential elements of oral storytelling, multicultural education, how oral storytelling can help children who have difficulty learning mathematics, and mathematical problem solving. This book significantly extends two pedagogical movements that have recently influenced mathematics teaching: the use of physical manipulatives and visual imagery and the use of children’s literature. It takes a giant leap in leaving behind the written word for oral language and integrating serious mathematical explorations with fantasy.

Author Michael Stephen Schiro presents the teaching of mathematics—often a high-anxiety subject—in a non-threatening, innovative fashion via the use of epic storytelling. It is written in a conversational tone, and includes numerous sample illustrations. The book’s presentation of stories, how a teacher actually used them in class (along with students’ responses), and a discussion of the educational value of such strategies make this a comprehensive work that recognizes teachers’ capabilities and concerns about employing the best available educational practices. The accompanying CD-ROM contains the full text of two epic stories plus addition worksheets, handouts, and art. This book will be of immediate interest to both pre-service and in-service teachers, and all educators devoted to providing children powerful mathematical and literary experiences.

Product Description
While most screenwriting books focus on format and structure, Kate Wright explains how to put story at the center of a screenplay. A compelling story, complete with intriguing characters and situations created with these screenwriting tricks of the trade can become a box office blockbuster film.

Screenwriters will learn:

- Developing themes within the plot
- Using structure to define the story
- Creating memorable characters
- Establishing moral dilemmas and conflicts
- Achieving classic elements of storytelling in a three-act dramatic structure
- Mastering different genres ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

This Sucks
This script coach claims to have gleaned all her glorious wisdom at the knee of Tennessee Williams, then proceeds to impart her knowledge through examples from two asinine movies--Titanic and Fugitive--and one entertaining yet hardly deep, Tootsie.And she does this with vague, unclear, convoluted sentences with her own coined, unnecessary jargon to say something that once understood could have been said in a few simple words.I hated it.Read McKee.

It takes the right tools to write a great novel or screenplay
'Screenwriting is Storytelling' reveals some of the greatest treasured secrets in screen writing, and writing in general. The spooky idea of writing a query letter or synopsizing your work-- when the least thing any writer can do is to say in a few words what took him/her ten years to write--is revealed by using a spine, concept key to the story. I have read countless books in writing and a great deal of them is absolutely useless, but there are some that are real treasuresin the art of writing and they should go on onto posterity. And this is just one of those (yes, you can start a phrase with the word 'and').
Now, keep in mind that one book can rarely tell it all when it comes to writing. Of course, no library should go without Robert McKee and Trudy, but one have to start somehwere to understand the 'lingo' and this book will carry you through from beginning to finish, from novice to accomplished story teller.
Please don't misunderstand me, this book can't give you talent. No one can, but it can guide you step by step.
If you are a writer, like myself, you will treasure this book. If you teach 'writing' that will help you to communicate the great truisms about writing.
I consider this book priceless. Just wished I had known about it before struggling with my own work for so many years. As I write this review, absolutely conscious that I am not given it "editing" time, for I am in the middle of a project, please be kind to overlook any mistakes you encounter and keep in mind that my goal is to help you not to wonder with misterious requirements, like I have, about "high concept", "log line" etc.
I'm trying to give something back because writers of books like this one had in mind exactly that, to help others that struggle along the way, just as they had. They are accomplished screen writers and teachers (that is something else I had learned...always learned from the pros) and they have made enough money not to need my money. They write for the sake of giving back, and that is what I'm trying to do. So, please don't point out to me any mispelled word. "STET" it all out as a writer would say to his editor (who was he? Was it Steinback? Overlook that one too) Best wishes: from one writer to another.

Formulaic-heavy, needs a copy-editor
I was hooked by the book's title. No script or movie is good if it doesn't tell a story well. But Wright's book at times seems to say that a good story depends on arithmetic. She gives several formulas that break down the screenplay, act by act, and within acts, giving you some form of long division to execute your script. The book reads a lot like a text book, just rehatching movie plots and lightly touching on character, motivation, premise, theme, if at all, and it feels like it relies heavily on Wright's critique and film theory of finished films and not the spec script. What's worse is that I found typos in some of the chapters and she gets her characters and movies mixed up. Do copy editors still exist? Pass on this book.

Very impressed!
In my quest to learn the craft of screenwriting, I've found Wright's book to be the best by a wide margin.Save your money, time, and effort.Buy this book, first, for a firm grasp of the craft.Wright's explanation of structure ties together the loose ends better than any other book.Her discussions, observations, and directions for writing the spine and theme of a story separate this book from the others.You benefit from her experience as a script doctor, as to the common mistakes journeyman writers make, which hopefully you will avoid, after reading this book.

Hollywood's "Secret" Ingredient
Screenwriting Is Storytelling by Kate Wright knocked my socks off.

Though I've been a professional writer for two decades, I have avoided books that outline the theories of creative storytelling as I feared such books would be intrusive rather than helpful. I assumed most writers learned to write by writing. This book turns that idea on its head.

In her effort to break down the script writing process, Kate Wright digs deeper than plot, character, and theme. She investigates the connection between great storytelling and the sources of it's subsconscious affect on the audience. She scrutinizes several vastly popular movies in detail, movies that have drawn audiences from all generations, all countries, all ethnic backgrounds. This effort leads her to find the one key ingredient these great movies have in common -- a spiritual connection with the audience. Spiritual connection? Surely, this must be the most "secret" ingredient in the Hollywood formula. Wright bravely explores this spiritual connection through the ethical or moral (if you must) dilemnas of the protagonists and antagonists in these popular movies. This fearless approach has forever changed my way of experiencing motion pictures.

I recommend this book to movie lovers everywhere, it will enhance their enjoyment of motion pictures. I also recommend itto screenwriters who have already internalized the technical aspects of script writing and are searching for something more -- the source of that special connection that can exist storyteller and audience. The author of this book serves as a wonderful guide on that exciting and worthwhile journey.


Georgia Ocean (New York), writer and movie lover ... Read more

Product Description
This text provides a full statement of Dr Gardner's use of story-telling ranging from the free fantasies provided by the child when utilising the mutual story-telling technique, to the bibliotherapeutic stories provided by the therapist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Classic counseling tool-storytelling from the master.
This is a classic!!! Gardener is the master at teaching the counseling tool of storytelling in counseling with children. There is nothing that children respond to better than stories. Learn how to use this valuable tool in your practice with children! Gardener gives detailed transcripts of recordings made while he uses the technique. ... Read more

Product Description
Eileen Kindig shows us how we can encourage and enjoy the art of storytelling within our own families. Along the way she artfully tells dozens of wonderful stories--at turns thought-provoking, hilarious, and moving. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The whys and hows of passing our life stories on to others
What a delightful read!This book seeks to teach and encourage you to strengthen family bonds by sharing those defining family stories.I bought the book because I wanted to learn how to write family stories in our photo album, and came away from reading it being challenged to share our stories with my children on a regular basis.

A fascinating look at the power of personal history
Without pontificating or moralizing, Eileen Silva Kindig shows us how the power of our own stories connects us to our families and to history. The book is beautifully illustrated with stories that are sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-breaking. This is a marvelous book for anyone who loves a good story. ... Read more

Product Description
A selection of unusual, easy-to-tell stories from around the world is complemented by advice from the author on the art of storytelling, an extensive bibliography, and a concise history of storytelling and oral tradition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good advice and good stories
This has some rich examples of entertaining stories both well known and obscure which makes the book worthwhile, and it also includes some excellent advice on how to get started as a storyteller and how to improve your delivery.

Getting Started in Storytelling
Pellowski suggests a number of settings in which young people might become involved in storytelling. She offers tips for selecting and preparing the story, recognizing that different methods of preparation might work best for different stories and/or different performers. Twenty-three stories are included. ... Read more

Product Description
Why do Coke, Nike, and Apple inspire so much loyalty among consumers? Laurence Vincent explains how smart marketing professionals can emulate these companies to build lasting brand allegiance.

Coke, Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren, and Hallmark engender tremendous devotion, sometimes almost a cult following, among consumers. To create this kind of loyalty, these brands express consistent values and "stories" and, in the process, claim a unique niche in the marketplace. These most successful brands have fine-tuned their stories, building a legacy that attracts steadfast fans, creates tremendous visibility, and underscores enormous profit potential.

Author Laurence Vincent has been a keen observer and frontline player in developing the brand stories of many outstanding companies. In Legendary Brands: Unleashing the Power of Storytelling to Create a Winning Marketing Strategy, he explores:

• The four essential elements that support a successful branding effort

• Ways consumers bond with a particular brand and create a unique culture around a product

• How the best brands tell their stories in ways beyond television spots or space ads-through product placements and sponsorships, among other tactics

• Special problems and anomalies in building a legacy, including a discussion of public and charitable causes, political brands, and public personalities

• Innovative research tools that reveal attitudes and feelings about products that traditional research methods (focus groups, for example) overlook

• What leading marketers do when a brand becomes irrelevant or damaged-how they revive and position their brands in fresh and exciting ways

More than a discussion of theory, Legendary Brands is also a prescriptive guide that outlines how to apply the theory to specific brand issues. This book presents readers with plenty of no-nonsense interviews with leading brand managers, creative directors, and other experts. From their frank comments, readers will learn new ways to approach specific marketing problems, as well as innovative solutions to untangle an assortment of thorny branding issues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Larry knows how to build a brand narrative
This is one of the few books (of the many I have read about storytelling in marketing) that provides a good explanation of "Why" storytelling is a powerful tool and "How" is works. I like that Vincent evidently has carried out a sound piece of research before writing this book.

I particularly like that he makes the point that not only do customers tell each other stories, they also live trough story themselves and build and support their own life-story through their consumption: "consumers in the post-modern world seek a narrative (or narratives) upon which to base their identity" (p. 9), "We define ourselves, our lives, and our well being by what we consume." (p. 11). Essentially this makes it clear that consumers exhibit what I would call sense making through consumption, and Vincent recognises that.

I highly commend this book for anyone who considers exploring the powers of using storytelling in their marketing strategy, since it describes well how to create a brand narrative. I do however personally believe that building a brand narrative is just one way of using storytelling in marketing, there are other approaches to explore too.

Find Your Brand's Story
Laurence Vincent skillfully sets the stage on the amazing power of brand stories, how storytelling can be done with brands and how to mine stories from your own brands.

The first half of the book is an excellent "history lesson" in brands like Apple, Nike and others and how they proficiently leverage their brand equity and story.The second half of the book is a "tutorial" in how to discover, mine and bring to light your brand's story.

Truly an amazing and interesting book.Very insightful.The author is intelligent, articulate and easy to grasp.He makes a very strong case for realizing the power of brand stories and engaging consumers in new, compelling and oftentimes utterly unique ways.

The 80/20 rule is alive and well!
Maybe you can't explain the creation and management of legendary brands--but if you can, Mr. Vincent didn't.Or, if he did, he used a LOT of extra words to make his explanation fit into a book."The objective of every advertiser is to implicitly prescribe acts of consumer behavior (e.g., "But the product!"). Legendary Brands, however dole out the prescription through story.These brands do not yell at the consumer to buy, buy, buy.They instead engage them in a narrative that makes the consumer want to buy because they identify with narrative components." -from page 35.
That sounds good to me.But that was about it.
He continues throughout the book to equate a person's Faith with branding.Again, I can see some similarities, but his attempt to "explain" the transcendent by use of the eminent is incongruent unless you believe that there is nothing but the eminent.He would have you believe that your deepest beliefs are simply responses to someone's effective branding attempts.
This book should set better with cynics and agnostics. I'm not reselling my copy-I don't want to spread his gospel.

GREAT BRAND SELECTION, DECENT NARRATIVE, WEAK DISCUSSION
Harley, Kodak, Nike, Apple, Linux. The secret to the phenomenal success of these brands is the "narrative" that communicates the underlying brand philosophy, one that engages and inspires consumers to use and stay loyal to these "legendary brands".

A slew of pages is devoted to theorizing about these brands' narrative structure and occasionally the pseudo-scientific verbiage is a little distracting (e.g., "Brand mythology acts upon the cognitive orientation centers of the brain in much the same way that religion and other deeply held philosophical beliefs do").

Yet, all this could have been easily overlooked by the fastidious reader, but without a more organized analysis of how these seemingly facile narratives were conceived, attained, and then maintained by our "legendary" brands, the book falls short of its expectations. Some discussion of the evidence, even anecdotal, would have made this 5 star material although it may still be an interesting collectible for the insightful magazine style discussions of successful branding endeavours.

Packed with Knowledge!
What makes a brand become the stuff of legend? Author and consultant Laurence Vincent says it's the power of a good story. Vincent, whose specialty is forging alliances between consumer brands and entertainment properties, presents an interesting parallel between marketing and storytelling that makes sense in today's increasingly cluttered media environment. Vincent introduces you to the basics of myth and storytelling. He explains how these concepts apply to marketing strategy and offers plenty of real-world examples and case studies to illustrate his points. Except for predicting the coming integration of advertising and content (it's been around for decades), Vincent's book is full of fresh insight. We from getAbstract recommend this book to brand managers and marketing executives who want to learn how to turn their brands into powerful icons. Legendary Brands takes the reader step by step through the process - just like any good story. ... Read more