JOHN WALSH is the founder of BibleTelling and the Christian Storytelling Conference. His network of BibleTelling trainers conduct seminars in the US as well as 21 other countries. The most exciting seminar is the annual BibleTelling Seminar in Israel. Those who attend tell 120 stories of the Bible at the 45 locations where they happened. The Art of Storytelling was first published in 2003, and then republished in 2014. His book, All the Stories of the Bible is used worldwide by missionaries, pastors, and other Christian workers. John shares his Bible stories on a 2-minute daily radio spot called All the Stories of the Bible in a Year and a 4-minute weekly radio spot called Telling the Stories of the Bible.
Wonderful! Everyone has the opportunity to share stories - some of
us do a great job and others need a boost. The Art of Storytelling
breaks down the steps necessary to tell a wonderful story! Mr.
Walsh writes in a soft conversational tone that offers the reader
the opportunity to learn without the fear of failure. A must read
for everyone wanting to tell their story a little better. This
would be a great gift for seminarians and anyone in the
communications field. Enjoy! NetGalley and Moody Publishers
provided an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an
honest review.Review by Lynda Smock, October 10, 2013,
GoodreadsWhat I liked about this book was that story-telling wasn't
restricted to just kids, it's presented as a way of sharing that
can work for everyone. And while the first application for
story-telling that came to mind was for sermons, this book also
shows that it's possible to use it in a classroom setting.
If you're looking for a book that will help you in Children's
ministry or in any ministry that requires public speaking, you
should definitely pick up this book. 4 out of 5 stars.Review by
Eustacia Tan, October 20, 2013, Net GalleyPeople of all ages enjoy
listening to a good story told. Stories are often a more effective
means of conveying instruction and truths than didactic, analytical
teaching. John D. Walsh, in The Art of Storytelling: Easy Steps to
Presenting an Unforgettable Story gives readers, whether new to the
art or are already experienced public speakers, tips and tools for
improving their craft. Through numerous exercises and activities,
the reader is encouraged to participate and practice honing skills
that are introduced in each chapter.
John wants stories to become the point of telling stories. Too
often in modern public speaking, stories are relegated to "spice
up" sermons and presentations and to illustrate some points in
them. The modern mindset has been conditioned to accept that
stories are for children (and must have a stated application or
moral), that "real teaching" happens in didactic lectures. John
discusses how people relate to and recall stories far better than
didactic teaching - lectures and sermons with "the big idea" or
"here are three points."
The book itself is divided into three sections. Part one, the
longest section, teaches the aspiring storyteller fourteen steps in
preparing to tell a story. John further subdivides these steps into
ten essential steps toward telling a good story, and four optional
steps that may be taken to raise a good story to a great one.
This book is written by a Christian with the Christian audience in
mind, but it can be valuable to anyone who speaks to an audience,
whether to one or a million or anywhere in-between. Particularly,
sections one and two are applicable to all public storytelling
engagements. Even the third section can be valuable as case studies
on how to turn written materials that may not initially strike the
reader as a story, into an engaging story that can be told to an
audience.
I highly recommend this book for all public speakers, but
especially for pastors and church teaching staff. Rating 5 of 5
stars.Review Mark Kubo, Net Galley, October 21, 2013In The Art of
Storytelling, John Walsh clearly demonstrates that storytelling is
one of the most effective ways to connect with people's hearts and
minds.
Walsh's valuable insights from a lifetime of storytelling are
applicable to parents (who want to capture their children's
imaginations), business men (who want to impart their vision to
clients and associates), teachers (who want students to think on
their own), public speakers (who want to improve their skills),
actors and writers (who want their characters to speak volumes -
even without words), and anyone who wants to improve their personal
conversation skills.
Walsh packs much from his storytelling workshops into this clear,
easy to read guide.
The author makes elusive communication concepts simple to
understand, and he gives helpful advice for practical questions
like - What do you with your hands while you speak? and How do I
handle nervousness?
Towards the end of the book, Walsh talks about BibleTelling - using
storytelling techniques to communicate Bible stories. In this
section, Walsh explains why Bible teachers should not just give the
point of the story away (which teachers are frequently tempted to
do). Instead, Walsh shows teachers how to harness the power of
storytelling to draw people in and get them to think on their own.
As a result, life-changing connections are made!Review by David
Rainey, Net Galley, October 22, 2013This book is not just a book
about the techniques and methods of story telling. It is also a
personal odyssey of the author's learning path toward great
story-telling. He was inspired by people who spoke well. He was
encouraged to pursue the path of public speaking by people who
believed in him. He was willing to be trained, and to learn how to
make stories come alive not just for himself but for the audience.
The two pieces of advice Walsh provides in this book is worth
remembering. Learn it well. Then teach it well. I am full of praise
for this very powerful book of ideas that not only gives tips of
how to craft and to present stories effectively, it inspires even
the meekest persons or untrained individual to desire to give
storytelling a shot!
I recommend this book highly for all speakers and speakers to be.
Rating: 5 stars of 5.Review by Conrad Yap, Net Galley, November 9,
2013There seems much disagreement on if this is a good or bad book
based on Biblical examples. Don't miss the point! People learn with
stories, they remember with stories! Whether this is Biblical
stories, a presentation at a seminar or reading to kids - don't we
want them to remember? If not it's just a waste of time! And I
don't like wasting time.
In full disclosure, I received a copy from NetGalley for an honest
review. And honestly, there's a lot of good information here,
packed in a concise but complete book chock full of tips from
warming up your voice before hand to dealing with the
umm..uh...well... stammers. He gives solutions for nerves, and
emphasizes practicing.
This is a good book with a lot of great info. If you get stalled
because the examples he uses are "religious" you're missing a lot
of good content that works just as well in a business presentation.
Rating 5 out of 5 stars.Review by Jan Hoadley, Net Galley
11/21/13The Art Of Storytelling will help you if you need to be
able to tell a better story, or give a speech. Whether you are
asked to tell a Story at Church, or teach a class. The Art of Story
Telling could benefit you.
John Walsh breaks this book up into short easy to read chapters,
giving you techniques for Storytelling, in your Bible Class, Sunday
School or anywhere els you may need to tell a story. I wish I had
this book when I worked with Children, because as short as it is,
it is full with wonderful gyms, that can help you for years to
come.
If you want to be able to tell a better story when you are asked to
speak, or if you are a Sunday School Teacher who wants to better
illustrate a lesson I would definitely reccommend The Art of Story
Telling. Rating 5 out of 5 stars.Review by Michelle Kidwell, Net
Galley 11/21/13This may be the most fun book I've read this year.
As a writer, reader, and story lover, the title The Art of
Storytelling grabbed me. Storytelling sometimes seems mysterious
and out of reach. Storytellers are people from the past. You hear
about ancient stories like Homer's The Illiad and The Odyssey being
passed down orally by storytellers. We've lost that sort of
reverence for the storyteller in American (at least in my
estimation).
I will admit I was bored with the first chapter. My two questions
with the first chapter were: first, do we really learn all that
differently from the past? Is there such a neat division between
the previous generation and this current generation? I agree
storytelling is undervalued, but I'm not sure it's because we
started learning differently. It would be interesting to see if
there's studies to back the claim up. Also, I'm not sure there's
such a sharp distinction between how men and women learn. I know
some women who learn better with hard facts and some men that do or
some that prefer stories and visa versa. These were minor parts of
the book. Once he got into the techniques, games, and tips the book
took off. Review by Mathew Sims, Net Galley 12/5/13Written by a
person who started out as a stutterer, John Walsh is a Christian
who has the Christian audience in mind, but his book can be
valuable to anyone who stands in front of audiences of 5 people or
1,000 people. Learn it well, then teach it well. If you've been
looking for a book like this, and you'd love to work with the
exercises at the end of the sections, then you should look into
getting this book. Review by Spencer Robinson, Net Galley
12/27/13John Walsh does a great job of taking you through the steps
and art of story telling. He does so in a way that is interesting
and engaging. This book is an excellent resource for anyone wanting
to be a better, interesting and more engaging speaker and story
teller. 4 out of 5 star rating.Review by Darian Burns, Net Galley
1/17/14Story telling is imperative when speaking to an audience. It
is a great tool for keeping an audience engaged, and for helping a
speaker to be relational and real with the audience--even Jesus did
it to help explain things! However, it doesn't come naturally to
everyone. This book takes the guesswork out of it and lays out the
groundwork in an easy to understand way, explaining how to tell a
story, and why it's so important. 5 out of 5 stars.Review by
Crystal Brothers, Net Galley 1/19/14If this book were food, it
would be a melt in your mouth roast beef dinner with mashed
potatoes and gravy, buttered beans, hot rolls dripping with butter
and best of all, a thick slice of warm apple pie with homemade
vanilla ice cream.
It not only encourages and teaches a person to tell stories, but it
provides the tools and ideas necessary to equip them. Best of all
(the apple pie and ice cream), it tells us how to tell Bible
Stories and why they are so effective. I both savored and devoured
this book. I hope you will enjoy it too! Rating 5 out of 5
stars.Review by Jael Roy, Net Galley 1/20/14Are you a story-teller?
I know, that is a very open question but guess what? If you are
breathing, you are telling stories. Some people might not think
they are story tellers but they are. If you have ever told a story
to more than yourself, you're a story-teller. When I think of story
tellers I don't typically think of myself. I think of men like Max
Lucado. I once heard him teach and I could have listened for hours.
Time flew by so fast and when he was done I thought it could have
gone longer. I consider Max Lucado a master story-teller. In John
Walsh's book, "The Art of Story Telling," he walks you through
step-by-step how to captivate your audience, whether it's a
classroom, a church, or a group of friends.
I recently recommended this book to a friend of mine that is a
Bible teacher for a large women's Bible study and she looked at me
like I was an idiot but once I read off some of the high points
from my notes (yes, I take notes when I read), she agreed it might
be w
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