“Hosts of all kinds, this is a must-read!” –Chris Anderson, owner and curator of TED From the host of the New York Times podcast Together Apart, an exciting new approach to how we gather that will transform the ways we spend our time together—at home, at work, in our communities, and beyond.In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and … the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive–which they don’t have to be. We rely too much on routine and the conventions of gatherings when we should focus on distinctiveness and the people involved. At a time when coming together is more important than ever, Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that will help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences, large and small, for work and for play.
Drawing on her expertise as a facilitator of high-powered gatherings around the world, Parker takes us inside events of all kinds to show what works, what doesn’t, and why. She investigates a wide array of gatherings–conferences, meetings, a courtroom, a flash-mob party, an Arab-Israeli summer camp–and explains how simple, specific changes can invigorate any group experience.
The result is a book that’s both journey and guide, full of exciting ideas with real-world applications. The Art of Gathering will forever alter the way you look at your next meeting, industry conference, dinner party, and backyard barbecue–and how you host and attend them.
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What a wonderful, fresh take on how to have a meeting. A lovely mixture of common sense and whimsy. Meetings don’t have to be dreaded or boring.
A long overdue and urgent manifesto.
The Art of Gathering is one of the most transformative books I’ve read in years. It has fundamentally changed I how run meetings, attend conferences, and even arrange dinner with friends. Equally important, it has reminded me why people come together in the first place — and why we should treat every gathering as an opportunity to deepen our shared humanity.
As social animals, humans gather, meet, and bond — seeking meaning, purpose, creative expression, and more. In almost all cases this is an unconscious process leading to subtle frustration and a lack of satisfaction. For the last few years I’ve avoided social gatherings because I find them meaningless and banal. I learned much from this book. Priya Parker has created both an art and a science to gathering in ways that can bring joy and fulfillment to any meeting.
This clear and engaging book sets down many things you thought you knew, until you find yourself remembering that you did not attend to its simple rules at the last significant event you hosted… A passion for successful encounters enlivens every page.
A brilliant and eminently practical guide! The Art of Gathering will open your eyes to just how often we gather — and how we can turn those mundane events into dazzling opportunities for meaning, dreaming, and doing. This book should be mandatory reading for everyone from the business executive to the community activist, the conflict resolution specialist to the dinner host. Concrete advice that will forever change the way you gather.
Priya Parker’s The Art of Gathering is brilliant. The book is a timely reminder: It’s our human-to-human links that make the most meaningful moments of our lives. Page by page, Parker offers a decoder ring for the secret forces at work when we gather for business, crises or celebration. What to leave out, where to meet, how to charm — it’s all here, explained with unforgettable stories and clever tips. You’ll only put this book down because it will make you so hungry for a gathering of your own.
A must read for anyone who belongs to a group….
Great tips on entertaining.
Provokes good thinking
In this day and age, a new look at why & how we socialize is very informative for social and psychological reasons, but also marketing and reaching people.
Although it can be a bit tedious at times, this book contains a wealth of interesting information regarding gatherings of all kinds from family to political. I found the authors take on things unique and inspiring. I look forward to putting her insights into action at my next gathering.
This book is a must read for anyone who loves to attend gatherings, host, have great conversations, seeks more in life, and wants to be inspired. Priya Parker makes the art of bringing people together possibility for anyone. She melds common sense, creativity, timeless examples, and her own experiences for people to create gatherings for meaning, work, solving problems, reducing work stress, and pushing the envelope of personal growth in this book.