Try free for 30 days

  • The Sea We Swim In

  • How Stories Work in a Data-Driven World
  • By: Frank Rose
  • Narrated by: Arthur Morey
  • Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
The Sea We Swim In cover art

The Sea We Swim In

By: Frank Rose
Narrated by: Arthur Morey
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

A practical guide to "narrative thinking", and why it matters in a world defined by data.

In The Sea We Swim In, Frank Rose leads us to a new understanding of stories and their role in our lives. For decades, experts from many fields - psychologists, economists, advertising and marketing executives - failed to register the power of narrative. Scientists thought stories were frivolous. Economists were knee-deep in theory. Marketers just wanted to cut to the sales pitch. Yet stories, not reasoning, are the key to persuasion.

Whether we’re aware of it or not, stories determine how we view the world and our place in it. That means the tools of professional storytellers - character, world, detail, voice - can unlock a way of thinking that’s ideal for an age in which we don’t passively consume media but actively participate in it. Building on insights from cognitive psychology and neuroscience, Rose shows us how to see the world in narrative terms, not as a thesis to be argued or a pitch to be made but as a story to be told.

Leading brands and top entertainment professionals already understand the vast potential of storytelling. From Warby Parker to Mailchimp to The Walking Dead, Rose explains how they use stories to establish their identity and turn ordinary people into fans - and how you can do the same.

©2021 Frank Rose (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"Terrifically readable, as compelling as the many successful stories and stories of success it tells." (Brian Boyd, author of On the Origin of Stories)

"A master storyteller on the story of stories. Frank Rose deconstructs them expertly - how they make us pay attention, how they move us, and why we remember them. His eloquent toolkit will help us make our own stories more effective and avoid being buffeted by the strange modern sea of digital stories that surrounds us." (David Kirkpatrick, author of The Facebook Effect and founder of Techonomy)

"Frank Rose’s fascinating new book is an essential companion for our age - when narratives, no matter how incredible, produce real-world outcomes that defy all reason. The Sea We Swim In takes us systematically through the elements that create compelling stories and offers a practical guide both to creating powerful tales and to resisting the pull of the most dangerous." (Rita McGrath, author of Seeing Around Corners and The End of Competitive Advantage)

What listeners say about The Sea We Swim In

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.