A Story is a Deal: How to use the science of storytelling to lead, motivate and persuade

by Will Storr

Overview

A fascinating exploration of how to use the power of storytelling to create irresistible pitches, build passionate brand loyalty, motivate teams and lead with charisma.

'Will Storr is a genius' Rory Sutherland
'A captivating and enlightening read . . Will Storr is an unusually talented and insightful writer' Adam Grant
'Storr shares profound insights' Seth Godin
'Whip smart, insightful and ridiculously entertaining' Jimmy Carr
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Using the latest findings from social psychology, evolutionary psychology, organisational psychology and neuroscience, A Story is a Deal argues that we won't unlock the true power of story if we treat it merely as something we read on a page, see on a screen or hear in a speech. Storr shows how successful stories shape identities, which changes beliefs, drives action and achieves extraordinary results.

With examples ranging from Aztec rituals to Apple's legendary advertising successes (and long-forgotten fails), A Story is a Deal lays out a revolutionary new method for creating the most persuasive messaging: by harnessing the power of our storytelling brains.
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'Intensely original and powerfully practical' Jonah Berger
'A fascinating insight into the human mind' Levinson Wood
'A very clever book that makes the reader feel cleverer with every page' Daniel Finkelstein
'Powerfully persuasive and urgently practical' Bruce Daisley
'Will Storr has a unique ability to explain our social world in ways that would never otherwise occur' Jack Dee

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780349437231
Publisher:	Little, Brown Book Group
Publication date:	03/11/2025
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Award-winning, bestselling writer Will Storr has spent over a decade exploring the origins and importance of stories and the power they have over us, personally and collectively. His work has garnered widespread admiration from writers, comics, public intellectuals and cultural commentators alike, all drawn to his ability to explore the human condition in a way that is both approachable and empirical.

Storr has presented his Science of Storytelling workshop across the world. His similarly popular course on business storytelling has garnered invitations to present at a wide range of organisations, including LVMH, Oracle, Adobe, Expedia, Publicis Sapient, Wunderman Thompson, Jane Street and the European Parliament.

Storr is the author of six widely acclaimed books including Selfie and The Status Game, and he also collaborates with high profile figures as a ghostwriter and story consultant. His journalism has appeared in titles such as the Guardian, SundayTimes, New Yorker and New York Times. He has been recognised with numerous awards, including the National Press Club award for excellence, the AFM award for Best Investigative Journalism and prestigious honours from Amnesty International and the One World Press Awards for his work on sexual violence against men.

Editorial Reviews

We are hardwired to be attracted to, grabbed by and influenced to act by stories. More effectively than anyone before, Storr shows us how to install and sequence the crucial narrative elements of stories into our persuasive appeals

—Robert Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-Suasion

A Story is a Deal is a fascinating insight into the human mind. A brilliant and essential manual for anyone wanting to understand the craft of storytelling and the role of status in negotiation—Levison Wood, explorer and author

People like us do things like this. Storr shares profound insights into the nature of identity and how it interacts with culture and the change we seek to make—Seth Godin, author of All Marketers Are Liars

The indispensable guide to influencing and persuading others. Storr practices what he preaches in this brilliant, up-to-date and practical book. Join him as he takes you on a journey of how to expertly craft your messages, conversations, presentations and pitches so they resonate every time—Scott Walker, Sunday Times bestselling author of Order Out of Chaos

Intensely original and powerfully practical, Storr brilliantly lays out how to use stories to change minds and behaviour—Jonah Berger, bestselling author of Contagious and The Catalyst

Will Storr connects two of the key ideas of our time, story and identity, in one compact, compelling and practical book. Vital reading for anyone whose business is communication: which, as he argues, is everyone—Timandra Harkness, author of Technology is Not the Problem

Will Storr is one of my favourite writers. He's whip smart, insightful and ridiculously entertaining—Jimmy Carr

Will Storr is a genius. I would happily read a shopping list by him—Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK and bestselling author of Alchemy

This is a book packed with insights that will change your thinking about why storytelling is as effective in business as it is in politics and in life—Linda Yueh, author of The Great Economists and The Great Crashes

A very clever book that makes the reader feel cleverer with every page. Storr really gets what makes storymaking work its magic—Daniel Finkelstein

A Story is a Deal is hugely impactful. Powerfully persuasive and urgently practical - it leaves the reader plotting the immediate use of Will Storr's genius insight. No one writes business books like Will Storr—Bruce Daisley, Sunday Times bestselling author

Will Storr has a unique ability to explain our social world in ways that would never otherwise occur—Jack Dee

A captivating and enlightening read about the power of stories. Will Storr is an unusually talented and insightful writer, and his book is about to change the way you communicate—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential and Think Again, and host of the podcast Re:Thinking

From the Publisher