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Steven James
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The Art of the Tale: Engage Your Audience, Elevate Your Organization, and Share Your Message Through Storytelling Kindle Edition

by Steven James (Author), Tom Morrisey (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 17 ratings
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Winner of a 2023 Storytelling World Award

Unleash the power of storytelling to transform your talks, speeches, and presentations—whether your audience is a boardroom of executives, a classroom of students, or an auditorium full of eager listeners.

Everyone, regardless of their background and training, can improve their storytelling abilities. But what is a story? How can you tell it in a way that delights and informs your listeners? Take a journey into the keys to great storytelling with two of the country’s top experts on story presentation and speech writing.

In The Art of the Tale, expert storytellers Steven James and Tom Morrisey team up and tap into their lifetimes of experience to show you how to prepare stellar presentations, tell stories in your own unique way, adapt your material to different groups of listeners, and gain confidence in your ability as a speaker. In this book, you’ll learn why:

  • practice doesn’t make perfect.
  • you should never tell the same story twice.
  • there is no right way to tell a story.
  • it’s best to avoid memorizing your stories.

You’ll also find helpful hints on:

  • gaining confidence in your ability as a storyteller.
  • connecting with your audience.
  • matching your expectations with those of your listeners.
  • understanding what makes a good story.
  • drawing truth out of stories you wish to tell.
  • crafting and remembering stories.
  • shaping your memories into inspiring stories.

Learn how to tell stories more effectively, lead and teach more creatively, and prepare your message in less time by using this unique resource provided by two of the nation’s premier communicators, who tap into their experience to share a lifetime’s worth of insights and expertise.

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  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    HarperCollins Leadership
  5. Publication date
    August 30, 2022
  6. File size
    1703 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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From the Publisher

Transform your talks, speeches, and presentations with the power of storytelling

Research over the last 25 years continues to confirm what the greatest teachers in history have always known: stories reach the heart, change perspectives, inform listeners on a deep level, and have the ability to transform lives.

Storytelling is mouth-to-heart resuscitation.

In this book you’ll learn why practice doesn’t make perfect, why you should never tell the same story the same way twice, why there is no right way to tell a story, and why good stories are absorbed, not memorized. You’ll also discover how to pretend less and believe more; recite less and respond more; explain less and evoke more.

This is a book about how to engage in the oldest social moment of all, invented in a forgotten age when entire villages gathered around fires to share the stories they dreamt in the flames.

Who Should Read This Book

Corporate Leaders

Keynote Speakers

Presenters

Podcasters

Educators

Anyone with a story to tell

KEEP YOUR AUDIENCE ENGAGED

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Steven James is the critically acclaimed, national bestselling author of sixteen novels. His work has been optioned by ABC Studios and praised by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, the New York Journal of Books, and many others. His pulse-pounding, award-winning thrillers are known for their intricate storylines and insightful explorations of good and evil. When he’s not working on his next book, he’s either teaching master classes on writing throughout the country, trail running, or sneaking off to catch a matinee.



Tom Morrisey is a mountaineer, aviator, shipwreck diver, and explorer, who holds a Full Cave certification from the National Speleological society - Cave Diving Section. He has launched, edited or contributed to numerous national publications and is an award-winning adventure travel writer. A popular speaker, he is also active in both youth and prison ministry. Morrisey earned an MFA in creative writing from Bowling Green State University, and his fiction has been featured in numerous anthologies and magazines. His previous novel, Yucatan Deep, was a 2003 finalist for the Christy Award. He and his family live in Orlando, Florida.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09N928FSZ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins Leadership (August 30, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 30, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1703 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1400233119
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 17 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Steven James

    Steven James

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    Steven James's latest thriller, FATAL DOMAIN, is available now. This smart, wire-tight, and emotionally resonant thriller featuring Travis Brock is the next in the series, following last year's domestic espionage thriller BROKER OF LIES.

    As a popular keynote speaker and in-demand storyteller, Steven is equipped with a unique master’s degree in storytelling and has taught writing and storytelling on five continents, speaking more than 2000 times at events spanning the globe.

    He is also the critically acclaimed author of eighteen novels, including the bestselling Bowers Files suspense series. His sci-fi novel, SYNAPSE, a near-future thriller, received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Library Journal and was a finalist for an International Book Award.

    When Steven isn't writing or speaking, you'll find him playing basketball or hiking near his home in the Appalachian Highlands of eastern Tennessee.

    If you love stories and storytelling, check out his podcast, The Story Blender, on which Steven has interviewed nearly 200 of the world's top writers and storytellers.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Tom Morrisey

    Tom Morrisey

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    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
17 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to public speaking
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
I'm not a public speaker and never considered myself to become one, but if I ever change my mind, now I know the secret to great speeches: storytelling. I've heard Steven James speak before, and I well remember his engaging style, so of course I had to buy and read this book afterward. The book is written in a winsome, informative, and memorable manner that reminds me of what it was like to hear James speak. Now I'm curious to read his fiction!
One person found this helpful
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Randi Durham
5.0 out of 5 stars Written by two awesome authors
Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
I am a big fan of both authors so I really love this book.
Tom Morrisey is very good at laying out an explanation for a process.
Enjoy
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Sue Purbrick
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2022
An inspiring and entertaining read that’s a must-read for those who talk to audiences, whether you run meetings, do formal business presentations, teach classes, tell stories to tourists, or address large audiences as the keynote speaker.
It made me determined to try and take my storytelling and presentations to new heights. Authors Tom and Steven give great advice with clarity and humour. Their enthusiasm and passion for storytelling is contagious. The book is packed with memorable tips and formulae as well as bite-sized information.
Each chapter focuses on an aspect of story-telling, and ends with a summary, together with key points to remember. It certainly doesn’t read like a textbook, though. It’s engaging and sparkling and fun. Tom takes a “deep dive into the intricacies of giving speeches that transform audiences” while Steven focuses more on the “nuts and bolts of telling stories that truly connect with listeners.”
The book covers four major categories: the story, listeners, context and storyteller.
I learnt about the four crucial elements of stories as well as two other elements that make stories more memorable, poignant and meaningful. All this is presented in fresh ways, with an abundance of stories, both personal as well as age-old ones that have been passed on down the years. I also learnt a whole lot about oxytocin, which I found fascinating!
The overall message: “Strive for connection [with your audience] rather than perfection.”
2 people found this helpful
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Louise Foerster
5.0 out of 5 stars Every Writer/Storyteller/Person Needs This Book
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2022
With THE ART OF THE TALE, Steven James and Tom Morrisey combine years of experience and vast expertise in storytelling and speechmaking in a highly engaging, memorable, and powerful book. I enjoyed every minute of it and will never forget the examples and clear instruction on how to tell stories that engage and entertain while educating, motivating, and inspiring listeners to act. Throughout this thoroughly delightful book, the authors take turns telling stories from the road, what's worked and what bombed so that the rest of us don't have to muddle through the same swamps or devise makeshift strategies and processes to deliver the best we have to give. Having been the fortunate audience member for several of Steven James' talks, I can avow to how generously and well this talented person walks his talk. A must read for anyone who tells stories in any format: speeches, written communications, anywhere and everywhere a story is told. I received an advance copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.
2 people found this helpful
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CindyC
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for writers
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2022
Excellent book on the art and performance of storytelling! If you plan to do any public speaking at all, this is your book. The authors cover every single possible aspect of public speaking, including posture, how to deal with microphones, how to speak during online meetings, lighting, you name it. I learned a lot and will refer back to this book.

As a writer, I also learned a lot about storytelling. Even as a published fiction writer, there was much for me to chew on. The authors present their tips in a succinct, highly readable format. Highly recommended for writers who spend most of their time in front of the computer but know they will need to speak in public eventually.
2 people found this helpful
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Flora
5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of practical tips and techniques
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2022
One thing for sure, there’s nothing like a good story to make you perk up your ears. Master storytellers in the form of Steven James and Tom Morrisey use their skills to write an extremely readable and even enjoyable tome to show you how to capture and make an impact on your audience. They’ve also given very useful quick outlines at the end of every chapter.

Of particular interest for these times is a chapter on diversity and inclusion.

A keeper for anyone who wants to bring life to any format of presentation. Lots of practical tips and techniques and essential do’s and don’ts.

A hearty 5 stars from me.
2 people found this helpful
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Jennifer L Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars refine your speaking skills
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2022
A great book if you are looking to refine your speaking skills! Using the idea that a story is much more powerful than telling people what to do, the authors walk you through several tips and tricks to figure out how and when to tell a story (real or fiction, anecdote or actual "Story")

Pick this up and practice (except when they tell you it's better NOT to practice!) and I do believe it will help you reach your audiences a lot better.
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