The Stories of Your Life

'A fascinating, entertaining and deeply smart journey into the storytelling brain' – Will Storr, bestselling author of The Status Game and The Science of Storytelling

We understand the world through stories. All our experiences and insights are psychologically interpreted through lenses that have been perfected and passed down throughout human history. In The Stories of Your Life, bestselling author and psychology professor Ben Ambridge has distilled those lenses into eight distinct ‘masterplots’ that can help you to better understand – and navigate – any experience in life.

Using real-life examples, psychological research and our favourite stories, The Stories of Your Life will teach you:

• The 'recipes' behind these powerful narratives
• How the plots of stories like The Lord of the Rings (Quest), Ted Lasso (Untangled) and Macbeth (Icarus) follow these recipes
• How these same plots play out in real life, from addiction (Monster) to sporting rivalries (Feud) and dramatic rescues (Hole)
• The psychological science that explains why these stories are so compelling

A guide to help you understand the world around you, The Stories of Your Life shares fascinating lessons about the nature of humanity, the power of psychology and the way we see ourselves.

'Stories are essential for human beings - they allow us to learn, to connect, to empathize. The best stories follow structures that catalyze and amplify their power. Ambridge expertly decodes and deciphers these masterplots so we can all benefit and grow' – Matt Abrahams, author of Think Faster Talk Smarter and host of Think Fast, Talk Smart