Narrative Is Everything

Book excerpt: "Narrative Is Everything" is the culmination of scientist-turned-filmmaker Randy Olson's 40 year journey into Hollywood AND it may seem like just another "joy of storytelling" diatribe, BUT the book plays on two levels, THEREFORE you can take your pick - use it to improve your communication, or allow it to give you a new perspective on cultural evolution. On the practical side, it presents the ABT Framework (And, But, Therefore), showing its power and application in fields as diverse as business, politics, entertainment, science and religion. On the higher, more all-encompassing level, Olson combines his backgrounds in evolutionary biology and communication to propose a detailed mechanism of cultural evolution through what he terms, "narrative selection." He argues that the brain is the selective agent and the ABT is the factor determining what survives and doesn't survive over time in all cultures. From epic myths to nursery rhymes to news media to pop music hits, the ABT Framework is present everywhere, leading to the inescapable conclusion that "Narrative Is Everything."