Book excerpt: A concise guide to using stories, anecdotes, metaphors and poety in training and development, Tales for Trainers is packed with ideas to give training more impact. Beginning by setting the use of stories in learning on a sound theoretical footing, the book goes on to include sample stories that trainers can use to read out loud. The author provides 50 tales that will immediately help trainers, managers, educators and coaches to reinforce key messages or stimulate fresh thinking.Proven to work in a variety or training environments, the stories range from ones written specifically by the author to carefully selected extracts from literature. They both work brilliantly as an aid to learning. The book also includes a detailed matrix to show which tales can be effectively used to promote particular actions or concepts. Online supporting resources include audio clips of stories illustrating the benefits of using storytelling in a business context.