Super Skill: Why Storytelling Is the Superpower of the AI Age

by Joe Lazer

296 pages, Hardcover

Published February 24, 2026

Reviews

[Patrick Metzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Lazer has distilled some serious wisdom here.

Super Skill provides the scaffolding to use storytelling to amplify everything that's great about what you're already doing (as a company, as an individual, or as a community). The book includes scientific research about why the human species is wired for storytelling, as well as practical principles and strategies for harnessing this superpower to have the most impact.

Lazer also provides significant evidence that we are entering a new economic era, where storytelling and "soft skills" will be prized and compensated more highly than technical skills (now that AI is taking over new technical domains every day).

Lazer outlines a three-part framework: Unlock. Unleash. Upgrade.

This acts as a way to harness the storytelling skills we have innately, apply them across our professional lives, and then enter dialogue with AI to become a better storyteller (rather than getting trapped in the "Vortex of Mid").

Filled with anecdotes, practical tools, and real evidence, this book is a great way to develop this essential skill and prepare for the future that is arriving... right now.

[Nila Makhfi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read :) As a recent graduate stepping into a world that’s increasingly shaped by AI, this book really shifted how I think about what actually matters. There’s so much pressure right now to keep up with new tools, new technologies, and everything AI can do - but this book flips that perspective.

What I loved most is how relevant it feels, especially for anyone early in their career. Whether you’re building a personal brand, going into marketing, or just trying to stand out, the storytelling principles in this book feel super actionable. I found myself constantly thinking about how I could apply them to real-life situations, from interviews to content creation.

It also doesn’t read like a typical “business” book. It’s engaging, easy to follow, and actually interesting, which made it stick even more. Overall, this book gave me a lot of clarity and confidence about where to focus my energy moving forward and I HIGHLY recommend it!!

[Beesterdog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grabbed an early copy and wasn’t sure what to expect. Walked away with a genuinely shifted perspective on AI. Not the doomsday narrative I’ve been hearing on repeat. More of a rallying cry for leaning into what makes us human.

Joe takes big, thorny ideas and make them feel like you’re chatting with a smart friend over coffee. Funny, sharp, and never hand-wavy. Backs it up with substance.

Been following Joe’s thinking since The Storytelling Edge (co-written with Shane Snow), and Super Skill feels like an important follow-up. The conversation has only gotten more pressing.

Highly recommend.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[Elodie Morel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential for anyone creating content in the age of AI. At a time when we’re all wondering how our professions will evolve, it offers both answers and practical techniques to help you become a better storyteller—and to cultivate that skill, that "super skill" (that "super power" !) that might ultimately make all the difference. For me, it felt like a powerful sign of hope. It’s exactly what I needed to read—and it gave me a real boost. It's not only a good read, it's a must read. Seriously.

[Robin Bennefield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was seven pages in and I was already highlighting and marking pages with stickies. That's how insightful and prescriptive this book is. Joe Lazer has done an amazing job of voicing exactly what's troublesome and at the same revelatory about AI. It's right there on page 7: "...if you think and write on your own first, and then use AI as an amplifier, you can reach a new, higher level of cognitive engagement." Sounds like a recipe for superhuman storytellers. That's the way Joe writes. He's been doing it since his first book "The Storytelling Edge" and his days at Contently. Way to go, Joe.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super Skill is THE book I needed to read in 2026. Joe's premise – that storytelling is our most valuable skill in the AI age – fills my writerly heart with hope. And his practical focus on the science of great storytelling can help us all avoid creating more ‘meh’ content – and start telling the stories that matter.

The book itself a masterclass in great storytelling. It hooked me from the first chapter with laugh-out-loud relatable truths and super simple frameworks. I’ve tabbed and underlined so many pages, I know I’ll be turning back to this again and again.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. He does a great job explaining why storytelling is such a powerful skill, especially as AI becomes more common in our work and lives. The examples are engaging and the ideas are easy to understand without feeling overly academic. It’s a quick, thoughtful read that made me think more intentionally about how stories shape the way we communicate and connect with others. Definitely worth reading if you work in marketing, communication, or leadership.

[Giuseppe Caltabiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe’s last book, "Super Skill", makes the case that the most powerful thing a human being can do, that thing that helped us humans build civilisations and move other people to act, is telling a compelling story.

And it's the one thing AI, for all its speed and scale, cannot genuinely do for you.

This is not a book about resisting AI. It's about something more interesting: becoming more human because of it.

[Kathryn Ioannilli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book nailed it for me. It didn’t just talk about storytelling, it made me see another big way how AI fits into the way I work. I finished it with real, usable ideas I can apply when I’m creating and communicating. Well worth the read