The Sea We Swim In: How Stories Work in a Data-Driven World
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- $25.99
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- $25.99
Publisher Description
A practical guide to "narrative thinking," and why it matters in a world defined by data.
In The Sea We Swim In, Frank Rose leads us to a new understanding of stories and their role in our lives. For decades, experts from many fields—psychologists, economists, advertising and marketing executives—failed to register the power of narrative. Scientists thought stories were frivolous. Economists were knee-deep in theory. Marketers just wanted to cut to the sales pitch. Yet stories, not reasoning, are the key to persuasion.
Whether we’re aware of it or not, stories determine how we view the world and our place in it. That means the tools of professional storytellers—character, world, detail, voice—can unlock a way of thinking that’s ideal for an age in which we don’t passively consume media but actively participate in it. Building on insights from cognitive psychology and neuroscience, Rose shows us how to see the world in narrative terms, not as a thesis to be argued or a pitch to be made but as a story to be told.
Leading brands and top entertainment professionals already understand the vast potential of storytelling. From Warby Parker to Mailchimp to The Walking Dead, Rose explains how they use stories to establish their identity and turn ordinary people into fans—and how you can do the same.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
To persuade someone, drop the data and focus on the story, argues Rose (The Art of Immersion) in this punchy if shallow survey of corporate narratives. Stories have long been viewed as frivolous when compared to data, Rose writes, but psychological studies have shown they're actually the best way to convey information and captivate a listener. Narratives also provide fertile ground for advertisers, who can beef up their message with a story that elicits emotional rather than rational response. To that end, he points to such brands as Dollar Shave Club, MailChimp, and Warby Parker (launched as the "Netflix of Eyewear") which have all developed stories buyers responded to. While Rose offers good advice on how to capture attention (don't treat an audience like just a pair of eyeballs), his focus tends to wander from business and into discussions of pop culture; Pulp Fiction and Westworld, for instance, loom large as examples of ways to tell a story that sticks. More critically, the book's premise is pretty widely accepted, and it's hard to imagine a contemporary business leader who isn't already convinced about the power of storytelling. There's plenty of good information here, but not enough of it is new.
