There are numerous books sharing tips on writing, but few dissect the process using facts and evidence, like this one.

Will Storr is a well-respected writer who has contributed to national newspapers and been a successful and sought after ghostwriter as well as having led writing courses and being the author of a number of books of his own.

Storytelling is an essential part of what makes us human. It drives us to achieve, to build relationships, to keep order in society and shapes our beliefs. 

Many people have forged their own interpretations on why and how we tell stories, but this book takes a different perspective by seeking to make sense of the human brain.

The author explains how he discovered that the things story theorists were saying about narrative were strikingly similar to findings about the mind and brain expressed by psychologists and neuroscientists.

There are so many fascinating aspects to this book - why we dream as we do, how we place ourselves as the hero of our own stories, the criminal mind and outlook, and much more. I found myself ripping through the pages delighted at finding so much intriguing and thought-provoking content, but wanting to halt and contemplate each new-found fact along the way. It's a book I'll return to time and again, I'm sure. Brilliant!