pixi_reads's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

4.5

upstartcrow9803's review against another edition

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2.0

I had originally given this book a 1/5. After much thought and debate, I realize that this book simply was just not for me. However, that being said, just because it is not for me doesn't mean that it is not worth reading. While attending a book club last night concerning the book itself many opinions were brought out including my own fairly negative experience. What came out of the book club meeting was a better understanding that while I think of myself as a confident writer, others do not. Others who feel as if they could improve upon their own writing may find this book incredibly useful. While I find that the chapter structure could do without the 'key question' component in the back, others may find that a handy tool to allude to rather than reading an entire chapter. While I found that it remarked upon more film that literary references, some say I was incorrect which is fine. For me, I wholeheartedly wish that I took the frame of mind of the group member that was hosting last night. I wish while reading it I used it as a tool to think critically about others writing rather than a textbook in how to improve my own. While this book was definitely not for me, I do acknowledge that I am simply one person and think others would find it more useful.

authoraugust's review against another edition

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5.0

I recommend that any writer who follows me who's serious about understanding why their writing "doesn't work" (for themselves or someone else) give this book a read. Even if not every word is truth for you, it's rooted in brain science, so it's going to be more on-the-nose than most writers' attempts to rationalize and spiritualize our own (limited) experiences. This was a really entertaining, powerful book; I listened to it as an audiobook and it was fantastic.

morganrondo's review against another edition

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2.0

Honestly, for a book about engaging readers, I found this text quite unengaging...

yourvalentine's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

rymdkejsaren's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a book any aspiring storyteller should read.

When I finished this the first time I went right back and started over again. I've now got Story Genius on my desk and I look forward to that.

cyanistes's review

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2.0

Some good but common tips, also some wrong tips. The science seems flimsy and the writing style is too sensationalist.

upturnedroots's review against another edition

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informative fast-paced

5.0

Will be returning to this one! Cron mentions researchers in my academic discipline that I've read papers from (and I realize most of them mentioned in the book are men...). Now I kind of want to propose a senior seminar with this book and those articles...anyway this book works really well for why the typical long character interviews never worked for me to plot, but suggests a good middle ground to keep from getting stuck and still follow the story where it needs to go.

loversphantom's review against another edition

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5.0

I don’t give out 5 stars easily, but this book was really well written. it completely changed my perception of stories and what happens when you read them and what neuroscience has to do with stories. the author depicted this very nicely thus it was an amazingly easy read despite being a quite complex topic.

I’m not even a writer and I’m not planning to write anything expect for school essays for the two decades, but I still found this topic so incredibly interesting. I couldn’t put the book down; I was so intrigued by it. I myself love neuroscience and anything that has to do with the brain so this gave me a big deal of information about how the human brain perceives stories and why we like certain genres or authors more than others and how you can get people to be completely entranced by your book. I now apply this information every time I read a book. it’s so fascinating what the brain does even when we aren’t even conscious of it

rsimizon's review against another edition

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informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0