The Storytelling Animal

<strong>In this delightful and original book Jonathan Gottschall offers the first unified theory of storytelling. Drawing on neuroscience and evolutionary biology <em>The Storytelling Animal </em>explores what stories reveal about human nature how we process information and think about the world. </strong><br/>Humans live in landscapes of make-believe. We spin fantasies. We devour novels films and plays. Even sporting events and criminal trials unfold as narratives. Gottschall argues that stories help us navigate life's complex social problems -- just as flight simulators prepare pilots for difficult situations. Storytelling has evolved like other behaviors to ensure our survival. Gottschall tells us what it means to be a storytelling animal and explains how stories can change the world for the better. <br/>We know we are master shapers of story. The Storytelling Animal finally reveals how stories shape us.<br/>A NYTimes.com Editor's Choice <br/>A Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Finalist <br/>A jaunty insightful new book . . . [that] draws from disparate corners of history and science to celebrate our compulsion to storify everything around us.--The New York Times