Additions to 409 bibliography
The Story Factor by Annette Simmons
This deserves a place on the bibliography, but not on the reading list, for LIS409 Storytelling. It's a business book with one good idea, which is a list of six types of stories that you need to know how to tell in order to have influence: stories of 1) who am I, 2) why am I here, 3) the vision, 4) teaching, 5) values-in-action, and 6) I know what you are thinking. This reference came to me from a student who used this framework to analyze the stories told by presidential candidates. Her paper, with edits, would be as solid as this book. It's not a bad book, but like so many business-oriented books for the mass market, it oversimplifies. While the categories are useful starting points, greater explanation and analysis would be needed for the reader to gain real skills in the use of storytelling in business.
If I add this one, I really need to add or assign a chapter/article by Julian Orr about how storytelling in business actually works.
Welcome to the Wisdom of the World by Joan Chittister
The book works from a refreshing concept, that of looking at the core concepts of world religions and retelling stories from each tradition that illustrates those concepts. It is also packaged as a quick self-help reference guide to world religions, and as such has the usual problem of stripping each tradition of its cultural context. Every concept has its failing, and trying to make wisdom so accessible poses real challenges. However, it's a great starting point for further research when students are interested in religious stories.
This deserves a place on the bibliography, but not on the reading list, for LIS409 Storytelling. It's a business book with one good idea, which is a list of six types of stories that you need to know how to tell in order to have influence: stories of 1) who am I, 2) why am I here, 3) the vision, 4) teaching, 5) values-in-action, and 6) I know what you are thinking. This reference came to me from a student who used this framework to analyze the stories told by presidential candidates. Her paper, with edits, would be as solid as this book. It's not a bad book, but like so many business-oriented books for the mass market, it oversimplifies. While the categories are useful starting points, greater explanation and analysis would be needed for the reader to gain real skills in the use of storytelling in business.
If I add this one, I really need to add or assign a chapter/article by Julian Orr about how storytelling in business actually works.
Welcome to the Wisdom of the World by Joan Chittister
The book works from a refreshing concept, that of looking at the core concepts of world religions and retelling stories from each tradition that illustrates those concepts. It is also packaged as a quick self-help reference guide to world religions, and as such has the usual problem of stripping each tradition of its cultural context. Every concept has its failing, and trying to make wisdom so accessible poses real challenges. However, it's a great starting point for further research when students are interested in religious stories.
