Power of Story telling to prepare the ground for change; for transformation
with data and the mastery of Angel’s Cocktail
“Angel and Devil Cocktails — The same hormones and neurotransmitters can be released by a good story. These include dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins, which Phillips refers to as the “angel’s cocktail.”
When dopamine is released into your blood, it leads to more focus, motivation, and improved memory.” — thecoachingroom.com.au
Why story telling is necessary for a startup — “Traction”. Can we sell anything if no one knows about it? Or knows about it in a bad light? I don’t think so. Therefore storytelling is important for new businesses or established enterprises who are diversifying in new markets with new products.
Stories by themselves have to power to create that chemical surge in your blood — dopamine. May be watch this video if we’re still not convinced with the power of stories, let alone data.
“Stories are thought to be one of the oldest forms of human communication. They have been defined as:
“intentional communicative artefacts”
↳ Gregory Currie (2012)
dramatization of meaning “in an interesting, evocative, informative way”
↳ Theodore Cheney (2001)
Our approach combines these understandings of storytelling. For those
who like a definition, this is our vision of data storytelling:
Data stories are intentional communicative artefacts that present data
in an interesting, evocative, and informative way.” — [1]
The book is ranked #298 in Media Studies Textbooks on Amazon. The top three books in that category are: “Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. Routledge” [2], “Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda” [3] and “John Dee: The World of the Elizabethan Magus. Routledge” [4] . In the world of stories the last one mentioned piked my curiosity and I wanted to know what would the author tell me in the first paragraph of the book that would entice me into the book to read further. Here’s the first paragraph:
“John Dee, who lived from 1527 until 1608, was one of the
most celebrated and remarkable men of the Elizabethan age.
Philosopher, mathematician, technologist, antiquarian, teacher
and friend of powerful people, Dee was at the centre of some
of the major developments of the English Renaissance; in
fact, he inspired several of these developments through his
writings and his teaching. But Dee was also a magician
deeply immersed in the most extreme forms of occultism: he
was Elizabethan England’s great magus. Perhaps the
disproportionate emphasis on the sensational side of Dee’s
activities explains why neither a full biography, nor a
comprehensive study of his work, has been published to
date.1 Few readers will know very much about John Dee, and
fewer still will be fully aware of the vital role which he
played in the evolution of English Renaissance thought.” — [4]
Summary of the book [1]
“The Data Storytelling Workbook” is a comprehensive guide to using data to tell compelling stories. Written by Anna Feigenbaum and Aria Alamalhodaei, the book is packed with practical tips and exercises that will help you understand how to work with data and use it to create stories that resonate with your audience.
The book covers everything from understanding different types of data and how to collect and analyze it, to creating engaging visuals and communicating your findings effectively. Each chapter includes real-world examples, case studies, and exercises that will help you put what you’ve learned into practice.
With “The Data Storytelling Workbook,” you’ll learn how to:
- Understand the different types of data and how to collect and analyze them
- Create compelling visuals that bring your data to life
- Use storytelling techniques to communicate your findings effectively
- Avoid common pitfalls and mistakes when working with data
- Build your own data storytelling toolkit
- Whether you’re a data analyst, journalist, or just someone who wants to better understand how to use data to tell stories, “The Data Storytelling Workbook” is an essential guide that will help you take your skills to the next level.
The book is written in a workbook format, and it is designed to be a practical tool for data analysts, journalists, researchers, and anyone else who wants to tell stories with data.
Throughout the book, Feigenbaum and Alamalhodaei offer a step-by-step approach to data storytelling, starting with the basics of data collection and visualization, and progressing to more advanced topics like data analysis and interpretation. The authors provide a wealth of examples and case studies to illustrate their concepts, and they offer practical exercises and worksheets to help readers develop their own data stories.
One of the strengths of the book is its focus on the ethical and social implications of data storytelling. Feigenbaum and Alamalhodaei encourage readers to consider the ways in which data can be used to perpetuate or challenge power structures, and they provide guidance on how to approach data storytelling with a critical lens.
Overall, “The Data Storytelling Workbook” is a valuable resource for anyone interested in using data to tell compelling stories. The book’s engaging writing style and practical approach make it an accessible and enjoyable read, while its emphasis on ethics and social justice make it a timely and important contribution to the field of data storytelling.
References
[1]ANNA FEIGENBAUM, Aria Alamalhodaei. The Data Storytelling Workbook Anna Feigenbaum, Aria Alamalhodaei. 2020. Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3oJ49xm
[2]HOOKS, Bell. Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. Routledge, 1994. Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/43ZeCFb
[3]CHOMSKY, Noam. Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda. 1st ed. Seven Stories Press, 1997. The Open Media Pamphlet Series , No 1.. Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/3HE1Imz
[4]FRENCH, Peter J.. John Dee: The World of the Elizabethan Magus. Routledge, 1972. Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/444nXeG
