Sir, – Lucy Kellaway worries that too many professions are muscling in on the art of storytelling ("Dentists and plumbers don't tell stories. Nor should you," Business Life, December 7th). "Even mathematicians and scientists are now urged to present their work as stories", she writes.
As if the work done by them is above narrative, personality, emotion and the need to connect with other people.
Storytelling is not the preserve of a few. It’s an amazing way to connect with people. Effective ways to communicate should always be encouraged.
The author continues “the trouble with stories is they have to be good ones”. Indeed. Where did we come from? How long could a person live to? Why would anyone think about these things? How do they do their work? I don’t know about Lucy Kellaway, but I would like to hear how those stories end and more about what kind of people are telling them. – Yours, etc,
Dr SHANE BERGIN,
School of Physics,
Trinity College Dublin,
Dublin 2.