The Stories of Your Life

How Storytelling Explains Who We Are
Learn the science behind why stories can have so much power in The Stories of Your Life, from bestselling author and psychology professor Ben Ambridge. Perfect for readers of Thomas Erickson's Surrounded by Idiots and James Clear's Atomic Habits.

‘Fascinating, entertaining and deeply smart’ – Will Storr, bestselling author of The Status Game

Featuring an updated introduction from the author.

Wars, pandemics, Brexit, Elon Musk, the impending doom of our species, the enduring popularity of Ted Lasso – we live in confusing and uncertain times. Won’t someone make it all make sense?

In The Stories of Your Life, bestselling author Ben Ambridge explains that the often-bizarre behaviour of individuals, organizations and even whole countries makes perfect sense, once we understand them in terms of stories.

Through generations of storytelling, we have together condensed the human experience into just eight distinct stories. And whether we’re pitching a product, bidding to become president, or simply trying to find love and happiness, we do so by telling ourselves, and each other, one of these stories.

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, Ted Lasso and Macbeth follow these recipes
• How these same plots play out in real life, from addiction to sporting rivalries and dramatic rescues
• The psychological science that explains why these stories are so compelling

Every aspect of human behaviour is part of a story – by understanding the stories, you can understand life itself.

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.

‘Ambridge expertly decodes and deciphers [the stories of our lives] so we can all benefit and grow’ – Matt Abrahams, author of Think Faster, Talk Smarter

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.