Part I. The story. The unparalleled power of story
Stories are great...for other people?
The three questions that will change everything
Story? Or anecdote? (How to tell the difference and why it matters)
Part II. The listeners. Shrinking the space between us
The chemistry of storytelling: hugging the audience with story
The six most common mistakes speakers make (and how to avoid them)
Diversity and inclusion: the story of each of us, the story of all of us
Part III. The context. The story that changed an industry
Humor: adding a light touch to the stories you tell
Warts and all: the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the story
The kung fu lesson, the llama sweater, and the ice cream cookie stack
Going from dry to dramatic: when the facts of the matter really do matter
Part IV. The storyteller. Transformative techniques to improve your delivery
Dusting off your memories: crafting personal experience stories
Shaping stories like a speechwriter
Steps to growing your own tale
Orchestration: bringing it all together
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Appendix A
Ten surefire ways to come across as an amateur
Appendix B
Emceeing made simple
Appendix C
365 story starters

Everyone, regardless of their background and training, can improve their storytelling abilities. But what is a story? How can you tell it in a way that delights and informs your listeners? Take a journey into the keys to great storytelling with two of the country's top experts on story presentation and speech writing. In The Art of the Tale, expert storytellers Steven James and Tom Morrisey team up and tap into their lifetimes of experience to show you how to prepare stellar presentations, tell stories in your own unique way, adapt your material to different groups of listeners, and gain confidence in your ability as a speaker