The Science of Storytelling

Will Storr applies psychological research and neuroscience to the foundations of myths and archetypes to show how stories work on the human brain and how writers can tell better ones. He argues that stories shape who people are, driving their dreams and ambitions and moulding their beliefs, and that storytelling is an essential part of being human. Earlier efforts to explain good stories, from Joseph Campbell's theories of myth to attempts to crack the bestseller code, rarely took a scientific approach. Storr's examples run from the Hebrew scriptures to Mr Men and from Booker Prize winners to box set television, as he shows how master storytellers manipulate and compel their audiences.

Morgan Housel wrote that he loved the book's account of why the best story always wins and how to tell one.