The storytelling animal: how stories make us human
(Book)
Author:
Published:
Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, c2012.
Physical Desc:
xvii, 248 pages : ill. ; 22 cm.
Status:
Arcade
808.543 G687 2012
Central
808.543 G687 2012
Description
“Insightful...draws from disparate corners of history and science to celebrate our compulsion to storify everything around us.”—The New York Times Book Review
Humans live in landscapes of make-believe. We spin fantasies. We devour novels, films, and plays. Even sporting events and criminal trials unfold as narratives. Yet the world of story has remained an undiscovered and unmapped country. It’s easy to say that humans are “wired” for story, but why?
In this delightful, original book, Jonathan Gottschall offers the first unified theory of storytelling. He argues that stories help us navigate life’s complex social problems—just as flight simulators prepare pilots for difficult situations. Storytelling has evolved, like other behaviors, to ensure our survival. Drawing on the latest research in neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology, Gottschall tells us what it means to be a storytelling animal. Did you know that the more absorbed you are in a story, the more it changes your behavior? That all children act out the same kinds of stories, whether they grow up in a slum or a suburb? That people who read more fiction are more empathetic?
Of course, our story instinct has a darker side. It makes us vulnerable to conspiracy theories, advertisements, and narratives about ourselves that are more “truthy” than true. National myths can also be terribly dangerous: Hitler’s ambitions were partly fueled by a story. But as Gottschall shows, stories can also powerfully change the world for the better. We know we are master shapers of story. The Storytelling Animal finally reveals how stories shape us.
“Lively.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Absorbing.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
“One of my favorite evolutionary psych writers—always insightful and witty.”—Steven Pinker
Humans live in landscapes of make-believe. We spin fantasies. We devour novels, films, and plays. Even sporting events and criminal trials unfold as narratives. Yet the world of story has remained an undiscovered and unmapped country. It’s easy to say that humans are “wired” for story, but why?
In this delightful, original book, Jonathan Gottschall offers the first unified theory of storytelling. He argues that stories help us navigate life’s complex social problems—just as flight simulators prepare pilots for difficult situations. Storytelling has evolved, like other behaviors, to ensure our survival. Drawing on the latest research in neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology, Gottschall tells us what it means to be a storytelling animal. Did you know that the more absorbed you are in a story, the more it changes your behavior? That all children act out the same kinds of stories, whether they grow up in a slum or a suburb? That people who read more fiction are more empathetic?
Of course, our story instinct has a darker side. It makes us vulnerable to conspiracy theories, advertisements, and narratives about ourselves that are more “truthy” than true. National myths can also be terribly dangerous: Hitler’s ambitions were partly fueled by a story. But as Gottschall shows, stories can also powerfully change the world for the better. We know we are master shapers of story. The Storytelling Animal finally reveals how stories shape us.
“Lively.”—San Francisco Chronicle
“Absorbing.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
“One of my favorite evolutionary psych writers—always insightful and witty.”—Steven Pinker
Copies
Location
Call Number
Status
Arcade
808.543 G687 2012
On Shelf
Central
808.543 G687 2012
On Shelf
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Subjects
LC Subjects
More Details
Format:
Book
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780547391403, 0547391404, 9780544002340
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (p. [215]-230) and index.
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)
Gottschall, J. (2012). The storytelling animal: how stories make us human. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Gottschall, Jonathan. 2012. The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Gottschall, Jonathan, The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.
MLA Citation (style guide)Gottschall, Jonathan. The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012.
Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
5f606b35-f161-e78f-d2b7-867e3e1f0b14
Record Information
Last Sierra Extract Time | Apr 13, 2024 08:33:38 AM |
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Last File Modification Time | Apr 13, 2024 08:34:22 AM |
Last Grouped Work Modification Time | Apr 24, 2024 02:13:21 AM |
MARC Record
LEADER | 01070pam 2200325 a 4500 | ||
---|---|---|---|
001 | ocn744293659 | ||
003 | DLC | ||
005 | 20120329074646.0 | ||
008 | 111024s2012 maua b 001 0 eng | ||
010 | |a 2011042372 | ||
020 | |a 9780547391403 | ||
020 | |a 0547391404 | ||
020 | |a 9780544002340 | ||
040 | |a DLC|c DLC|d IMmBT | ||
049 | |a JRSA | ||
050 | 0 | 0 | |a GR72.3|b .G67 2012 |
082 | 0 | 0 | |a 808.5/43|2 23 |
099 | |a 808.543 G687 2012 | ||
100 | 1 | |a Gottschall, Jonathan. | |
245 | 1 | 4 | |a The storytelling animal :|b how stories make us human /|c Jonathan Gottschall. |
260 | |a Boston :|b Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,|c c2012. | ||
300 | |a xvii, 248 p. :|b ill. ;|c 22 cm. | ||
504 | |a Includes bibliographical references (p. [215]-230) and index. | ||
650 | 0 | |a Storytelling. | |
650 | 0 | |a Literature and science. | |
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948 | |a Featured List 4/12 | ||
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