 On the back of my business card, I have a replica of a cave painting from thousands, maybe millions of years ago. It's the story of a hunt, and it's there to remind me that stories, since time began, are the most powerful ways for humans to connect with each other, to share information, to learn about life, and to learn from each other, and learn about each other. Mr. Rogers, the late American television personality, and host of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, famously said, Frankly, there isn't anyone you couldn't learn to love once you've heard their story. And Peter Goober, the former CEO of Sony Pictures, said, In this age of rapid technological change, it's not the zeros and the ones of the digital revolution, but rather the ooze and ahs of a good story that offer the best chance of compelling listeners to act on behalf of a worthy goal. That's because while logic may get people to think, emotion gets them to act, and stories are the best way to make an emotional connection with an audience. We're hardwired for stories. We dream in stories. I love the way Jonathan Gottschall, an American literary scholar, put it, Human minds yield helplessly to the suction of a story. We know that in our everyday lives, we're sucked in when a fellow employee says, The most amazing thing happened on my way to work. It's likely we'll stay around for the story. Stories are powerful. They shape companies, organizations, and cultures. The world's religions have all been shaped by stories, stories of the prophets in the Quran and the Old Testament, stories of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son and the New Testament. Stories have also shaped countries and will continue to do so. Consider what Joseph Nye, the American political scientist, said a few years ago. The old idea that the nation with the largest military wins may now be in question. In an information age, it may be the state or the non-state with the best story that wins.