Summary of Jonathan Gottschall's The Storytelling Animal

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Pay attention when you read a book. The power of story is so embedded in our lives that we are completely desensitized to its weird and witchy power. To experience its fascination, you must concentrate and resist the suction of alternate worlds. But you can do this! It’s not too late to save yourself. Well, it’s never too late to try, anyway. It’s never too late to learn to read. -> The power of story is so embedded in our lives that we are completely desensitized to its weird and witchy power.

#2 When you read a book, your mind is working hard to create images that surpass the author’s descriptions.

#3 Reading and story are two of the most powerful tools you can use to immerse yourself in a new language.

#4 We spend more time watching television than we do reading books, and we spend a lot of time reading online.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Sep 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9798350001341

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Jonathan Gottschall's The Storytelling Animal

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

We are thoroughly desensitized to the weird and witchy power of stories. We must pry back the veneer of familiarity that keeps us from noticing the strangeness of story.

#2

When we read stories, our minds are working hard to create images that exceed the information provided by the author. We meet a character who is handsome with fierce eyes and cheekbones like blades. And from those small cues, we build a human being who has not only those eyes but also a certain type of nose and mouth.

#3

Story is psychologically compulsory for small children. It is something they seem to need in the same way they need bread and love. To deny them story would be an act of violence.

#4

Story’s centrality in human life extends far beyond conventional novels or films. We do story even under the worst conditions, and we never stop pretending. We just change how we do it.

#5

We spend about five hours a day listening to music. It sounds impossible, but