Book excerpt: This one-of-a-kind book reveals the secrets of a story's power to persuade, inspire, influence, and to teach. Our brains have been evolutionarily hardwired to think, to make sense, and to understand in simple—but hidden—story terms. You'll discover the Neural Story Net, the Make Sense Mandate, Motive Matching, and the Story Influence Line—and understand how these powerful concepts control listener/reader engagement, attention, and the impact your communications will exert. You'll learn that what reaches the conscious mind of your target audience is significantly different from what first reached their eyes and ears—and that you can control that internal, neural process. This easy to use guide is organized into four parts: the neuroscience of narrative; your story tools; how narratives exert influence (changing beliefs, attitudes, values, etc.); and the straightforward process of creating "Story Smart" stories.