Data Storytelling, Books

Become a Great Data Storyteller

An overview of my new book published by Wiley

4 min readFeb 4, 2025

I am beyond thrilled to announce that my latest book, Become a Great Data Storyteller, has finally been published by Wiley!

This isn’t just another book — it’s the result of nearly a year of intense dedication, countless hours of reading, and deep dives into scientific articles, books, and diverse materials. Become a Great Data Storyteller is the culmination of my passion for data storytelling, and it represents a breakthrough in how we think about presenting data.

The journey began with a simple yet profound question: What does storytelling really mean? At its core, storytelling is about stories, and I set out to uncover what truly makes a story. The revelation? Every human instinctively recognizes a story when it has characters and a plot.

And that’s where the spark for this book ignited: How can we extract characters and a plot from data to craft compelling stories? If your data presentation lacks these essential elements, you’re not engaging in data storytelling — you’re merely showcasing data.

This is the groundbreaking idea at the heart of my book: True data storytelling requires characters and a plot.

Now, you might be thinking, How do you find characters and a plot in raw data? Trust me, I grappled with that question for months. I immersed myself in research, analyzing data, and exploring storytelling techniques from the worlds of cinema and literature. I pored over books, articles, and videos on crafting captivating plots and unforgettable characters. Then, I applied these principles to data.

But there was still a missing piece: How do you actually extract characters from data? This puzzle kept me up at night. I analyzed datasets, experimented, and pushed the boundaries of my understanding until the answer revealed itself.

The result? I developed the Data–Hero Humanity Matrix and the Data–Hero Concreteness Matrix, which I unveil in Chapter 4 of the book. These tools help you identify the hero within your data — whether human or non-human, concrete or abstract. For instance, hospital patients are concrete human heroes, while temperature is an abstract non-human hero.

Once you’ve identified your data hero, the next step is structuring your story. I guide you through using the classic three-act structure from literature and film, perfectly tailored for data storytelling.

I know this might sound unconventional, maybe even a bit fictional, but that’s where the magic lies. The key difference between fiction and data storytelling is that our heroes are deeply rooted in real, tangible data.

The first part of the book focuses on defining your characters and plot. In the second part, I delve into adapting your story to your audience. I expanded my research to include new techniques for engaging different audiences, even those who are hostile or indifferent to your message.

What makes this book even more personal are the real-life stories I’ve woven into the narrative. Many of these moments happened during the writing process itself — like my son Antonio learning to ride his bike without training wheels or the simple joy of picking apples from my father’s tree. I included these personal anecdotes because every great story needs a touch of real life.

If I’ve sparked even a little curiosity, I invite you to grab a copy of Become a Great Data Storyteller from your favorite bookseller. Still on the fence? Check out the preview of the introduction and part of the first chapter on Amazon — I promise it’ll be worth your while.

Let’s transform how we tell stories with data, one plot, and character at a time!