Customer Reviews

Story$Sells

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Imagine you're a top executive. Imagine that it's the night before what may be the most important day of your professional career. You are staring at the blank white screen of your laptop with a single black bar blinking on-and-off for what seems like an eternity. You need to create a presentation that will determine the success or failure of your company. Not only are you at a loss for words but you are at a loss period. If you were a lost shepherd, a booming voice from the sky would show you the right path. If you were on a TV commercial you'd push a button and presto problems solved. But you are neither. What do you do? If only you'd bought a copy of Elizabeth Gibson's book Story$Sells you would have a quick guide to lead you out of your predicament. What's the secret? The art of storytelling - not the kind of story that begins "Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a far away land..." but one that is carefully planned and executed.

Gibson conveys her message regarding the importance of storytelling in combating challenges of daily life through her own fictional story. The premise is not unlike the beginning of this review; the exec in peril is Dan Dealer. Gibson masterfully weaves a story that unfolds page by page to reveal the steps to a winning presentation / speech/ story. To illustrate the steps, Gibson uses Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" and two fictional (and very humorous) accounts of the speech.

Gibson's is a simple message yet its simplicity is one that many have yet to discover.

"Storytelling is being labeled as an entertainment for small children, but stories and storytelling are a key part of the human experience in all points of our life.
Good storytellers are the movers and shakers, the inspiring business managers, the entrancing public speakers, the great religious figures of history,and the charismatic leaders of the world."

While Gibson's intended audience is the "board room," it is easy to see how this simple guidebook can be used as a tool in any middle, high, or even college level writing course. The final three pages of the last section, "In the Light of Day," summarize the essential components of successful storytelling; these can be easily adjusted for students as mini-lessons that teach them to incorporate these components into their writing. Students can also use these components to analyze both fiction and nonfiction texts and refer to Gibson's analysis of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. It's possible to apply this not only in the LA classrooms but in any content area where students are required to decipher various concepts, internalize them, and ultimately produce their own presentations for assessment. It's a tool that merits a place beside their dictionary and thesaurus.