Many books written about crafting a good story do not follow their own advice, but THE BUSINESS OF STORYTELLING: Inspire Action, Build Trust, and Drive Results Through Story is definitely not one of them. A prolific writer and speaker, author Don Yaeger practices what he preaches—frequently using his own works and this book itself to reinforce various points. Although the focus is more on nonfiction and business settings, many of the elements and "universal truths" described can be applied to stories of all kinds. They can also be applied across mediums, both spoken and written.
The beginning of THE BUSINESS OF STORYTELLING sucks the reader in by sharing a story from the author's childhood. One line in particular resonates, gripping the audience just as much as Yaeger describes being invested himself: "I watched the rest of the room watching my father tell a story—hanging on his every word, eyes glued to him, leaning forward. And I was hooked." Just why the line and the overall opening feel so engaging is fully explored later on. Many such revelatory moments happen throughout the work, as the author calls back to previous sections to exemplify some of his elements for a good story. Others only appear upon some reflection.
As much as the references inside and outside of THE BUSINESS OF STORYTELLING strengthen its central message overall, some repetitiveness weakens the book. Multiple, very powerful, and very human stories are used as examples, but the same excerpts are often repeated. Or the lead-ins to different excerpts of the same story give readers too much of the same information each time. For example, the following line is pulled from late in the book, and the Hoyt story (including their amazing bond and the son's medical challenges) has been mentioned at least ten times by this point: "One story that I have told many times is how Dick Hoyt never gave up on his son, who had spastic quadriplegia."
The final section, titled "Applying the Craft," seems less robust than the others. Directly following the section header are only two appendices, usually considered supplementary information and not part of a book itself. Expanding more on the follow-through or call-to-action steps in that section (arguably the more business-inclined elements) would have made the work stronger as well.
Nevertheless, THE BUSINESS OF STORYTELLING is easy to digest. It has much to offer any reader hoping to tell their own stories someday—business or otherwise.
In THE BUSINESS OF STORYTELLING: Inspire Action, Build Trust, and Drive Results Through Story, Don Yaeger offers a unique perspective and sage advice for anyone hoping to develop story craft in written or verbal forms.
—Lisbeth Ivies for IndieReader