SKU: 88745269733

The Story of Stories: The Million-Year History of a Uniquely Human Art

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The Story of Stories: The Million-Year History of a Uniquely Human ArtAn irresistible and enchanting journey through human history from mankind's earliest fires to the latest smart phones that tells the surprising and untold story of storytelling. Joan Didion told us, "We tell ourselves stories in order to live." And yet, the story of stories has never been told until now. MIT technology pioneer Kevin Ashton was at the forefront of the digital revolution that led to the invention of the smartphone, the ultimate

An irresistible and enchanting journey through human history--from mankind's earliest fires to the latest smart phones--that tells the surprising and untold story of storytelling.

Joan Didion told us, "We tell ourselves stories in order to live." And yet, the story of stories has never been told until now. MIT technology pioneer Kevin Ashton was at the forefront of the digital revolution that led to the invention of the smartphone, the ultimate storytelling device. This latest technology in the long arc of human storytelling allows anyone, for the first time in history, to tell stories to everyone. In The Story of Stories, Ashton tells the untold story of storytelling. The result is an eye-opening, compelling journey through the eight great revolutions of storytelling, all of which follow a simple pattern: each major new storytelling tool increases the number of people who can share stories and the number of people with whom those stories can be shared.

Our first night-fires created the earliest audiences for spoken stories. Language did not lead us to stories; stories led us to language. In time, the development of rhyme, song, and other mnemonic devices allowed those spoken stories to be preserved for generations; pictures drawn on cave walls turned preservation into permanence, telling stories we still experience thousands of years later; writing enabled storytellers to spread tales to faraway places; the Chinese invented printing with moveable metal type around 700 CE; the Toltecs independently invented it at about the same time; 750 years later Gutenberg independently invented it again, adding a converted wine press to create the mass production of mass communication. Over time, printing presses increased the number of storytellers and the size of their audiences by many orders of magnitude, a trend which led us to great revolutions, and electric, then electronic, then digital storytelling and all our storytelling tools of today--and tomorrow's.

In this remarkable book, more than twenty-five years in the making, Ashton looks at the development of human storytelling to help us understand where we are in the latest iteration that is the digital era. Drawing on examples from art, literature, music, and pop culture, from the Bible to Bon Jovi, Aristotle to Artificial Intelligence, Frederick Douglass to Facebook, and cave paintings to cinema, The Story of Stories is a passionate and crucial exploration of how stories and the tools we use to tell them continue to change us, cause revolutions, and connect us to each other and give our lives meaning.

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SKU: 88745269733

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4.5 ★★★★★
Based on 17 reviews
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Shar O'thetropics
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
I L-O-V-E these!!!!
Size: 9 Women/8 Men, Color: 1a-407 White
UPDATE: I've tried several difference sellers/brands and keep coming back to these Seekway shoes. I think the key is for me that they are one-piece like water socks with ties rather than having separate tongues. Some other brands, the tongues are long and rub against your foot. These also have a very thin heel cup unlike others that were fine for short term, but on long walks, the thicker heeled ones rubbed nasty blisters in both heels. These Seekway DID NOT. The only down side is that the soles are very thin, so even with orthotics (Happy Step memory foam), when walking for several miles, I did find the balls of my feet sore. But in time, they've actually "toughened up" and now I walk about 3 miles per night in these shoes without any issue. Just bought my third pair! These shoes are soooooo comfortable with great tread and very breathable. I LOVE these! The price is very reasonable while quality is good. I have one foot that is slightly narrower, especially in the heel, than the other. After a bit of experimenting with the elastic ties, they fit great. True to size. And they look up-scale... unlike some old beach shoes I have from a few years ago. I actually forgot I had shoes on, that's how comfy they are. These are not for support, but that's not their purpose. If you like walking around barefoot yet want protection from injury or stepping on something icky, these are perfect. I also hear some podiatrists are praising barefoot-style shoes as good for building muscles in the foot and legs. Total win!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2026
M
Verified Purchase
Mat Scott
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 4
Good fit and comfort.
Size: 11.5 Women/10.5 Men, Color: 1o-506 Black
These fit well and are easy to wear in the water. They drain and dry quickly so you can move from wet to dry without having to change shoes. They kept my feet reasonably warm on a chilly day in the river. However the grip on the soles could be a bit better; they got pretty slippery when walking on rocks. They also don't offer much protection if you happen to step on something sharp. They're good if you need something versatile but I wouldn't recommend for serious river work.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2026
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Jess C.
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
Perfect for Cenotes – Lightweight, Quick-Drying & Comfortable
Size: 6 Women/5 Men, Color: 1a-407 White, Size: 6 Women/5 Men, Color: 1a-407 White
Perfect water shoes! The material is thin, but they dry very fast, which was exactly what I needed. I’m usually a size 6.5 and sized down half a size, and the fit was perfect. I used them for swimming and walking in cenotes in Mexico for about two and a half hours, and they were comfortable the entire time. Great grip and very practical!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2026
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anitaj
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
Great quality & comfortable all day wear
Size: 13.5 Women/12.5 Men, Color: 1e-414 Gradient Blue 35
I purchased these for my husband to wear on our vacation to Jamaica. I planned a trip to one of the many beautiful falls and water caves" in the area. The travel instructions stated we would be "climbing rocks & walking through fast moving water" and water shoes with good traction were advisable. The excursion was amazing and my husband was very impressed with the quality and durability of these water shoes. They kept his footing steady, kept him from slipping and were extremely comfortable for all-day day wear. We strongly endorse these water shoes for any water sport or easy summer wear.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2026
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MJ15
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
I would give these 6 stars if I could
Size: 7 Women/6 Men, Color: 1a-407 White, Size: 7 Women/6 Men, Color: 1a-407 White
We're going on a trip soon where we'll be jumping into some natural waterfalls and it is recommended that we wear water shoes. I've had water shoes before and so far not a fan. They're tight and ugly, making my feet look like a squishmallow (like rock climbing shoes). Searched on Amazon and saw these. Hey! The pics online actually looked pretty neat. They reminded me of those funny shoes with toes. I read the reviews and everyone said they were the most comfortable shoes ever. So, I drank the koolaid and bought a pair for me (white) and a pair for hubby (grey/green). We just tried them on..... So, I'm normally a size 7 (women's) and my feet are wide. For slippers, I fit into a 6. So I took a chance and ordered size 37 (which is honestly the normal EU size for me, but being that these are made in China, who knows what I'll get). Hubby is normally a size 10 (men's) and his feet are very slightly narrower than normal. So again, we took a chance and ordered him size 42 (besides, the size 9.5 wasn't even available as an option). Holy mother of metatarsals what sorcery is this? I put these on my feet and they felt like a soft hug! Wow! And they fit! At first I thought...oh no, they're a bit BIG. But I was sitting and so when I stood up, my toes went to the tip of the shoe. Remember how I said my foot is wide? Well oddly enough, I had to pull the straps really tight so that they'd feel more secure. This is the only downside: Because I tightened the straps quite a bit, there's a lot of extra elastic (6-8" lenght) that is going to dangle around the top of my foot (see pic). So a lot of creative tucking it in is necessary. Hubby's shoes fit him perfectly. He didn't have to tighten his as much. Very impressed by the construction of the soles; they feel sturdy and solid and flexible yet thick enough to prevent sharp rocks from poking through. I also love the shape of the toe box. It's a square shape but flattering (on me as my foot is wide). Plus, because of the mesh fabric, stitching, and detail, the shoes look like stylish athletic shoes and not plain neoprene water shoes like the kids wear. They are also extremely light and have holes in the bottom for drainage. The fabric is super soft and stretchy and they are a snap to put on. Super awesome! Not gonna lie: I don't even have socks this comfy. Could I have gone a size down? I probably could but because of my wide feet, that would be too risky. If you are a size 7 naturally with narrow feet, I tend to think yeah...you may want to consider sizing down a half size. But my toes hit the tip of the toe box when standing up and I don't want them to overhang. Any tighter and they may fit but they won't look good imo. I could see why people want to wear these all the time. They're so comfy, I bet you can even sleep in these.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2025

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