"Come for the engrossing content, and stay for the lessons that might just change how you talk, write, and lead." --Adam Grant
Learn how to take any story and make it perfect--from storytelling expert Karen Eber, whose popular TED Talk on the subject continues to be a source of inspiration for millions.
What makes a story perfect? How do you tell the perfect story for any occasion?
We live in a story world. Stories are a memorable and engaging way to differentiate yourself, build connection and trust, create new thinking, bring meaning to data, and even influence decision-making. But how do you turn a good story into a great story that informs, influences, and inspires?
In The Perfect Story, Karen Eber--leadership consultant, professional keynote storyteller, and TED speaker--shares the science of storytelling to teach you to:
- Leverage the Five Factory Settings of the Brain to hack the art of storytelling
- Build a toolkit of endless story ideas
- Define the audience for your story
- Apply a memorable story structure
- Engage senses and emotions
- Tell stories with data
- Avoid common storytelling mistakes
- Use your body to tell dynamic stories
- Ensure your story doesn't manipulate
- Navigate and embrace the vulnerability of storytelling
Without relying on complicated models or one-size-fits-all prescriptions, this book makes storytelling accessible with practical and impactful steps for anyone to tell the perfect story for any occasion.
Through interview vignettes, The Perfect Story also shares approaches from different storytellers, including the Sundance Institute cofounder, an executive producer of The Moth, the former creative director at Pixar, the TED Radio Hour podcast host, and many more.
Whether you are leading a team, giving a presentation, hosting a podcast, selling a product or service, interviewing for a job, or giving a toast at a wedding, The Perfect Story will help you take your stories and make them perfect.
Karen Eber is an author, leadership consultant, and keynote speaker. Her TED Talk on how your brain responds to stories continues to inspire millions. Her book, The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories That Inform, Influence, and Inspire, is a Porchlight Books Bestseller and was selected as a Next Big Ideas Club must-read.
As the CEO and Chief Storyteller of Eber Leadership Group, Karen helps Fortune 500 companies like GE, Microsoft, and Kraft Heinz build leaders, teams, and culture, one story at a time.
Karen guest lectures at universities including MIT, Stanford, and London School of Business. She is a former Head of Culture, Learning, and Leadership Development at GE and Deloitte. Karen frequently contributes to and is featured in Fast Company, Quartz, Entrepreneur, MSN, Forbes, Inc, and Business Insider.
In her free time, she plays the flute the piccolo, hikes, and frequents musical theater. Karen lives in Atlanta with her family.
Will Csaklos is the former Senior Creative Executive and Story Consultant at Pixar Animation Studios.
In addition to providing story consulting and story repair on Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., Ratatouille and Open Season, Will taught his singular Story Development course to Directors, Heads of Story, Story Artists and Top Executives at Pixar, Sony and Disney and in publicly available classes in the San Francisco Bay Area where he was “discovered” by Andrew Stanton and recruited to Pixar.
During his career, Will has consulted and contributed to short films, independent films and corporate and product narratives. Employers and clients include, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marza Animation Planet, Sony Pictures Animation, Ogilvy Paris, Cube Creative and Barajoun Entertainment.
Today, Will focuses on writing, repairing and developing stories and scripts for all genres of live action projects, animated features, and shorts. His clients include studio and independent filmmakers as well as aspiring writers and filmmakers who are on their way to achieving their creative dreams.
Karen Eber photo courtesy of the author. Will Csaklos photo courtesy of the author.