Sam Blumenthal

Stories act as the electromagnetic force that puts these collisions in motion. It convinces ideas of different charges to collide instead of repel. It coaxes the stern, unforgiving laws of physics with a sprinkle of alchemy that turns energy into serendipity, fission into magic.

Even a small rise in score, such as an increase from 4.2 to 4.4 stars, often produced a meaningful improvement in sales. Across the 55 categories, the total growth opportunity—the cumulative sales increase that could be attributed to improvements in products’ star ratings—was 37 percent over the span of the growth horizon. This opportunity varied... See more