Terrence Gargiulo boldly states: If a picture is worth a thousand words, a story is worth a thousand pictures. One of the most ancient forms of communication, storytelling is now being recognized as a powerful tool in business and other facets of life. Gargiulo argues that stories are fundamental to the way we communicate, learn, and think; they are the most efficient way to store, retrieve, and convey information. In Stories at Work, he demystifies how and why stories are so effective, and demonstrates how stories can be applied in organizations and our personal lives to influence...

Treasured for centuries, the world's folk tales I have left a legacy of wisdom for countless generations. Going beyond simple entertainment, stories such as "The Lion and the Hare" and "The Woodcutter's Daughter" instruct memorably, through example, how to live in a world populated with dishonest, petty, and conniving figures. Although these lessons may be couched in stories about animals, the types of human behaviors described are universal -and nowhere more so than in the typical workplace.

In the Land of Difficult People presents twenty-four fables taken from around the world, each...