Customer Reviews

The Power of Personal Storytelling

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Mr. Maquire is obviously a gifted oral storyteller; however, writing is clearly not his best medium. Maquire believes that storytelling is a wonderful thing, and he spends most of his time telling you why it's important instead of explaining how to tell stories.

Be prepared to read, over and over and over again, to the benefits of storytelling ad nauseum. As you read the following excerpt, pay attention to how little direction he gives, and how much soft talk he employs.

"... Our stories are precious to us. They become even more spirtiually potent when we take special care of them and craft them into more conscious and complete -- or, if you will, wholistic-- form. Simply embodying these products of our own genius, without communicating them directly to others, give us greater personal integrity and power. We can draw on them privately for solace, centering, grounding, and decisionmaking. If and when we do tell them to others, we transmit to our listeners a refreshing form of living energy that is undeliverable, and unobtainable, in any other fashion."

Wow, what a mouthful, but all is not lost. As I stated before, Maguire is a gifted storyteller, and the best parts of the book contain snippets of his stories. Reading those stories will wake you after that drowsy feeling from reading his repetitive prose. And if you're patient enough to wade through such garrulous writing, you will find some valuable insight into the art of storytelling.

So I'm divided on this book. I'm surprised that someone who can tell such a good story can do such an average job of explaining his craft.

Something gave me an itch to make a hobby out of personal storytelling. I didn't know where to begin, but I found this book at Amazon.com (wasn't available in the bookstores). The title looked catchy, so I decided to give it a shot. I was richly rewarded!

The day may come when Storytelling re-emerges as a national pasttime. If it does, this book may very well be the handbook of such a revlotion.

The exercises are fun and enlightening. I've found my childhood memories to be more full of color and vitality after following Maguire's suggestions. The story prompts in the Appendix are just a ton of fun, too, if you want to get some freinds together and have a good time.

Well done, Jack!

Jack Maguire has a well organized approach to storytelling that provides resources for an individual wishing to tell his or her own story, for storytellers who want to develop some personal stories in their repetoire, and for those working in therapeutic settings. His selection of quotations about story are set clearly in wide margins and are unusually diverse and concrete. The book is chock full of ideas for finding your own story and for ways of helping others do the same. He interwines his personal experiences in ahelpful way to encourage the storyteller at anylevel.

By reading this book and doing the activities suggested at the end of each chapter, the reader will have at least one personal story to tell. And Jack Maguire comes across as very understanding and encouraging in the way he leads the reader through the whole process of personal story-making.

Maguire begins with the ideas, "Why tell personal stories?" and "Reclaiming your storyloving self." Then he moves on to ways for coming up with story ideas. That done, he helps the reader with actually putting together a story. Next comes discussion about what Maguire calls "embodying the story," an alternative to "memorizing the story." In chapters 20-23, he talks about how storytelling can be used at home, at work and in the community. And he's only finished after encouraging the reader to "take the telling leap."

This is a great book for learning to tell our own stories.

This book is an excellent tool for any storyteller or would be storyteller. It leaves no stone unturned. Every type of storytelling is explored and wonderful examples are given, as well as a wealth of quotes from authors and storytellers, and more. It has been my major reference when encouraging others to tell their own personal stories and enrich the lives of their children in the telling process.

I have not the Power of Personal Storytelling for more then a year and I recommended it to everyone who want to speak in public and/or tell stories.

Did not even realise that I never wrote a review of it.

I learned a lot from the book and it helped me greatly.

First, to discover my personal stories, to prepare them and create stories from my experience.

Our crossroads, are the best part to begin, but that is just a beginning. Then the books gives advices how to shape them to make a story for the public from them.

Then, instead of learning them by root, how to "embody" them. Perhaps that is the most powerful tool I learned from the book, how to imagine the stepping stones and become flexible.

It did help a lot in my storytelling, this last year!

And now, as I begun to study the book for the third time, I still discover new techniques and ideas and tips to use from it!

Recommend it for all new, as I was a year and half ago, and all experienced, as I begin to become now. It will help your storytelling and enrich your public speaking.

This book is aimed at verbal storytelling; but I applied a lot of the principles to written stories. Very well done, insightful and entertaining.

The good reviews written about this book must be written by the writer.
There are a couple of good ideas but the rest is the MOST pretentious bull.
He obviously doesn't want to share his storytelling secrets
DON'T BUY IT!!
I will give my copy to anyone who sends me the postage (I'm in the south of France)
I was obliged to give this book ONE star, but it doesn't deserve it.

Good approach: listen first, find your stories, present them, etc. The book is easy to read and full of stimulating material and examples.