The Sea We Swim In: How Stories Work in a Data-Driven World

The Sea We Swim In: How Stories Work in a Data-Driven World

  • Downloads:1223
  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2021-07-08 09:31:02
  • Update Date:2025-09-07
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Frank Rose
  • ISBN:B08L6XYCSR
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

Psychologists, economists, advertising and marketing mavens—for decades, they failed to register the power of narrative。 Most scientists considered stories frivolous。 Economists were knee-deep in theory。 Marketers wanted to cut to the sales pitch。 Yet stories are key to how we comprehend the world and our place in it。


In The Sea We Swim In, Frank Rose leads us to a new understanding of storytelling and its role in our lives。 Building on insights from cognitive psychology and neuroscience, he shows us how to see the world in narrative terms, not as a thesis to be argued or a pitch to be made but as a story to be told。 Leading brands and top entertainment professionals already understand this way of thinking。 From Warby Parker to The Walking Dead, Rose shows how they design and implement complex narrative ecosystems for interconnected digital worlds—and how you can do the same。

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Reviews

Lee Woodruff

For anyone who makes presentations and works with data, this book is a much needed primer on the new world of storytelling- complete with great case studies - I binged it like Netflix !

Justin Chen

4 starsA solid entry point into understanding the omnipresence of constructed narrative; with straightforward prose and engaging case studies, Frank Rose breaks down how brand and media fabricate/enhance their persona and stories, in order to gain recognition and audience's engagement。 While the foundational principles presented in The Sea We Swim In are excellent, most of its anecdotes seem to be stuck in the mid 2010s; while success stories from 'millennial brands' (Warby Parker, Harry's, and 4 starsA solid entry point into understanding the omnipresence of constructed narrative; with straightforward prose and engaging case studies, Frank Rose breaks down how brand and media fabricate/enhance their persona and stories, in order to gain recognition and audience's engagement。 While the foundational principles presented in The Sea We Swim In are excellent, most of its anecdotes seem to be stuck in the mid 2010s; while success stories from 'millennial brands' (Warby Parker, Harry's, and Marriott) are still valuable, I would've liked the book to offer a perspective on the more recent Gen-Z audience (TikTok, Twitch, and influencer culture are surprisingly absent in the discussion)。The book becomes more observational and less analytical in its last section, where it touches upon QAnon and deepfake, recalling the mass media frenzy surrounding the 2019 election and COVID-19。 This abrupt shift in timeline and tone is jarring—partially due to its own disregard of the storytelling components it has spent the first 75% conveying。 The Sea We Swim In closes with an inconclusive sentiment: people simply have to be cautious of the content they're consuming; the author is as dumbfounded by the current situation as the rest of us。In some way I can't fault the unevenness of The Sea We Swim In, as it is a direct reflection of the world at large; it is easy to construct rules and formulas when stories are being created in a controlled environment (whether it is within a company, an advertising agency or a media conglomerate), which is no longer the case with the rise of meme culture, #hashtag, and drama channels。 While it might not be as 'current' with the time as I've anticipated, there are still relevant, timeless concepts here worth grasping。**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Much appreciated!*** 。。。more