The Perfect Story: How to Tell Stories that Inform, Influence, and Inspire

“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.