Jonathan Gottschall The Storytelling Animal How Stories Make Us Human 2012
Looking for Jonathan Gottschall The Storytelling Animal How Stories Make Us Human 2012 books? Browse our collection of Jonathan Gottschall The Storytelling Animal How Stories Make Us Human 2012 titles below — covering textbooks, guides, novels, and reference materials suitable for students, researchers, and enthusiasts.
About this topic
Jonathan Gottschall's work delves into the essential role that storytelling plays in shaping human experience. In 'The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human', he explores the idea that narratives are not just entertainment but fundamental to our identity, culture, and understanding of the world. This exploration into the psychology and biology of storytelling reveals how stories influence our beliefs, behaviors, and social connections. Readers interested in the intersection of narrative and human nature will find this topic compelling and thought-provoking.
Key Topics to Explore
- The psychological impact of storytelling
- The evolutionary significance of narratives
- Cultural storytelling and its effects on society
- The role of fiction in shaping reality
- Storytelling in education and personal development
What You Will Find
Books on this topic typically examine the interplay between storytelling and human psychology, offering insights into why narratives resonate with us. Readers can expect a range of styles, from academic analyses to accessible explorations suitable for general audiences. Many works will blend research findings with practical applications, making them relevant for educators, writers, and anyone interested in the power of stories.
Common Questions
What is the main argument of 'The Storytelling Animal'?
The main argument posits that storytelling is a fundamental aspect of human nature, essential for understanding ourselves and the world around us.
How does storytelling influence our behavior?
Storytelling shapes our beliefs and actions by providing frameworks through which we interpret experiences and connect with others.
What themes are commonly explored in books about storytelling?
Common themes include the psychological and cultural significance of stories, their role in education, and their impact on social dynamics.
The Storytelling Animal
Author: Jonathan Gottschall
language: en
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: 2012
A provocative scholar delivers the first book on the new science of storytelling: the latest thinking on why we tell stories and what stories reveal about human nature.
The Evolution of Imagination
Author: Stephen T. Asma
language: en
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Release Date: 2017-06-21
"An ambitious and exciting book about creativity . . . chart[s] new territory." — Science Consider Miles Davis, horn held high, sculpting a powerful musical statement full of tonal patterns, inside jokes, and thrilling climactic phrases—all on the fly. Or a comedy troupe riffing on cues from the audience until the whole room erupts with laughter; a team of software engineers brainstorming their way to the next Google; or the Einsteins of the world code-cracking the mysteries of nature. Maybe it's simply a child playing with her toys. What do all of these activities share? With wisdom, humor, and joy, philosopher Stephen T. Asma answers that question: imagination. And from there he takes us on an extraordinary tour of the human creative spirit. Guided by neuroscience, animal behavior, evolution, philosophy, and psychology, Asma burrows deep into the human psyche to look at the enigmatic, powerful engine that is our improvisational creativity—the source, he argues, of our remarkable imaginational capacity. How, he asks, can a story evoke a whole world inside us? How are we able to rehearse a skill, a speech, or even an entire scenario simply by thinking about it? How does creativity go beyond experience and help us make something completely new? And how does our moral imagination help us sculpt a better society? As he shows, we live in a world that is only partly happening in reality. Huge swaths of our cognitive experiences are made up by "what-ifs," "almosts," and "maybes," an imagined terrain that churns out one of the most overlooked but necessary resources for our flourishing: possibilities. Considering everything from how imagination works in our physical bodies to the ways we make images, from the mechanics of language and our ability to tell stories to the creative composition of self-consciousness, Asma expands our personal and day-to-day forms of imagination into a grand scale: as one of the decisive evolutionary forces that has guided human development from the Paleolithic era to today. The result is an inspiring look at the rich relationships among improvisation, imagination, and culture, and a privileged glimpse into the unique nature of our evolved minds.
Biblical Critical Theory
Author: Christopher Watkin
language: en
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Release Date: 2022-11-08
*With a foreword from Tim Keller* A bold vision for Christians who want to engage the world in a way that is biblically faithful and culturally sensitive. In Biblical Critical Theory, Christopher Watkin shows how the Bible and its unfolding story help us make sense of modern life and culture. Critical theories exist to critique what we think we know about reality and the social, political, and cultural structures in which we live. In doing so, they make visible the values and beliefs of a culture in order to scrutinize and change them. Biblical Critical Theory exposes and evaluates the often-hidden assumptions and concepts that shape late-modern society, examining them through the lens of the biblical story running from Genesis to Revelation, and asking urgent questions like: How does the Bible's storyline help us understand our society, our culture, and ourselves? How do specific doctrines help us engage thoughtfully in the philosophical, political, and social questions of our day? How can we analyze and critique culture and its alternative critical theories through Scripture? Informed by the biblical-theological structure of Saint Augustine's magisterial work The City of God (and with extensive diagrams and practical tools), Biblical Critical Theory shows how the patterns of the Bible's storyline can provide incisive, fresh, and nuanced ways of intervening in today's debates on everything from science, the arts, and politics to dignity, multiculturalism, and equality. You'll learn the moves to make and the tools to use in analyzing and engaging with all sorts of cultural artifacts and events in a way that is both biblically faithful and culturally relevant. It is not enough for Christians to explain the Bible to the culture or cultures in which we live. We must also explain the culture in which we live within the framework and categories of the Bible, revealing how the whole of the Bible sheds light on the whole of life. If Christians want to speak with a fresh, engaging, and dynamic voice in the marketplace of ideas today, we need to mine the unique treasures of the distinctive biblical storyline.