Poetics

Aristotle's treatise on the poetic art is the oldest Greek work of dramatic theory still in existence, and the first surviving philosophical text to focus only on literary theory. He divides poetry into epic, lyric, verse and drama, including tragedy, comedy and the satyr play, and holds that all share the function of mimesis while differing in rhythm and meter, in the goodness of their characters and in how they tell a story. The surviving part covers tragedy and epic; a second part on comedy was lost. Aristotle also contrasts poetry with history, calling poetry the more philosophical of the two. Scholars still debate key terms such as catharsis and hamartia.

Bill Liao, a general partner at SOSV, said reading it alongside Made to Stick showed him the power of stories with surprises in them, which lets him contribute to the pitch of every start-up he meets.