Story + PD: Learning resources | Duarte, Dicks, Heath, Sachs, Vonnegut

The business world has had story evangelists for years. Maybe I’m just catching up and jumping on a rolling boxcar like a hobo going West. Regardless, you too can ride this train. 

Matthew Dicks and his book Storyworthy. Matthew was interviewed by Lenny Rachitsky on “Lenny’s Podcast.” It’s a good listen, and you’ll probably want to buy his book. Or more than one. Or hire him to help you. 

Nancy Duarte/Duarte.com integrates visual design and storytelling primarily in a business context. She’s been at it a while, and she certainly has it down. 

There’s the modern classic, Chip & Dan Heath “Made to Stick” from 2007.

Innovation Storytelling, article by Tammy McCausland

Research-Technology Management Volume 65, 2022 - Issue 3

Pages 61-63 | Published online: 19 Apr 2022; Taylor&Francis Online

I thought this was great overview that I read after getting into my own inventory of PD stories. Tammy McCausland, the author, is a proponent of using storytelling to improve outcomes in medical care.

Jonah Sachs and his team behind the book Winning the Story Wars spoke to our team at Jump when I was there, and it was enlightening. He was a big proponent of the Joseph Campbell archetypes. 

Vonnegut’s “story shapes” concept

The late great writer Kurt Vonnegut came up with a taxonomy of common story shapes. Graphic designer Maya Eliam created perhaps the best known infographic explaining it. Watch the author himself on Youtube, or read his autobiography, “Palm Sunday.”