Story or Die : How to Use Brain Science to Engage, Persuade, and Change Minds in Business and in Life

A step-by-step guide to using the brain's hardwired desire for story to achieve any goal, whether it's successfully pitching a product, saving the planet, or convincing your kids not to text and drive, from the author of Wired for Story.Story isn't just one way to persuade, it's the way. It's built into the architecture of the brain, and has been since early humans gathered around the campfire, trying to figure out if that rustling in the bushes really was a lion. But to fully wield the power of story at will, you must first understand how story is working in your brain--not metaphorically, but biologically.In Story or Die, author, speaker, and story coach Lisa Cron decodes the power of story, examining how story and the brain evolved in tandem; why well-told stories were, and continue to be, key to our survival; and what grabs us in a good story. (It's very different from what we think.) She then takes readers, step by step, through the process of creating their own story--a story with the power to call even the most challenging audience, no matter their tribe, to action. Along the way, Cron explains what your brain craves in a story, how to pinpoint your audience's hidden resistance, and why all roads lead to an aha moment. In doing so, she teaches you how to enthrall, persuade, promote, educate, inspire, and most important, better understand yourself and every decision you make. “A practical, heartfelt manual for anyone who needs to change minds and actions. Lisa Cron shares the art of practical empathy with leaders who care enough to make a difference.”—Seth Godin, author of The Practice A step-by-step guide to using the brain’s hardwired need for story to achieve any goal, from the author of Wired for Story Whether you’re pitching a product, saving the planet, or convincing your kids not to text and drive, story isn’t just one way to persuade. It’s the way. It’s built into the architecture of the brain, and has been since early humans gathered around the camp fire, trying to figure out how to outsmart the lion next door. In Story or Die, story coach Lisa Cron sets out to decode the power of story, first by examining how the brain processes information, translates it into narrative, and then guards it as if your life depends on it. Armed with that insight, she focuses on how to find your real target audience and then pinpoint their hidden resistance. Finally, she takes you, step-by-step, through the creation of your own story, one that allows your audience to overcome their resistance and take up your call to action, not because you told them to, but because they want to. That is the power of story. Use it wisely.