Priya Parker – The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters (Unabridged)

“A long-awaited and urgent manifesto.” Seth Godin’s

“One of the most transforming books I’ve read in years is The Art of Gathering. It has profoundly altered the way I organize meetings, attend conferences, and even plan supper with friends. It has also reminded me why people congregate in the first place — and why we should see every gathering as a chance to strengthen our shared humanity.” —Daniel H. Pink, When and How to Drive

“As social animals, people assemble, meet, and bond in search of meaning, purpose, creative expression, and other things. In virtually all situations, this is an unconscious process that results in mild annoyance and dissatisfaction. I’ve avoided social events in recent years because I find them pointless and uninteresting. This book taught me a lot. Priya Parker has established an art and a science of gathering that can offer joy and contentment to any gathering.” Deepak Chopra’s

“[A] wonderful new book about how we spend our time together at work, at home, and elsewhere. The Art of Gathering may help you get more out of every occasion, whether it’s with your boss and coworkers or with friends and family.” —Bustle
“[A] wonderful book… When people interact, good things happen. Especially if we follow Priya’s wise counsel.” —Forbes

“Excitedly given formulas for greater get-togethers… “Useful for people who arrange meetings, conferences, and the like, as well as a suitable survival guidebook for consumers of the same.” —From Kirkus Reviews

“This straightforward and fascinating book lays out many things you thought you knew, until you realize you didn’t follow its basic guidelines at the last important event you held…. Every page is infused with a desire for successful meetings.” —Sherry Turkle, author of Alone Together and Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age.

“We are more linked than ever before. But it doesn’t feel like that. We converse on the phone less than we used to, but we spend more time staring at devices or listening to music through headphones. We’re continually engaging, but not necessarily talking meaningfully. We’re busy, yet we don’t always get anything done. Priya Parker intends to alter this. Parker aims to make our lives more productive and our connections more meaningful in her latest book The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters.” —Design Matters’ Debbie Millman

“A great and really useful resource!”

The Art of Gathering will reveal how frequently we assemble – and how we may transform those commonplace occurrences into sparkling chances for meaning, thinking, and action. Everyone from the company CEO to the community activist, the conflict resolution specialist to the dinner host should read this book. Concrete guidance that can forever alter your approach to gathering.” —Daniel L. Shapiro, Harvard International Negotiation Program founder and author of Negotiating the Unnegotiable

“Do not read this book by yourself. Read it with a group of friends, in a book club, with a group of coworkers, or at a family reunion. However, read it for its wisdom, charm, insight, and capacity to make every interaction with people more important and delightful. The Art of Gathering is a long-awaited and timely book.” —Bruce Feiler, New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets of Happy Families and Walking the Bible “Many of life’s finest things happen when people get together. So it’s amazing how little conscious thought goes into such instances. Thank heavens for this book. It introduces fresh ways of thinking about fantastic gatherings through a delectable concoction of well-defined concepts and thorough examples. This is a must-read for all types of hosts!” —Chris Anderson, TED founder and curator

“The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker is wonderful. The book serves as a timely reminder that it is our human-to-human connections that create the most meaningful moments in our lives. Parker provides a decoder ring for the secret forces at work whether we congregate for business, crises, or celebrations, page after page. What to leave out, where to meet, and how to charm are all covered, with unforgettable stories and clever advice. You’ll only put this book down because it’ll make you crave your own gathering.” —Joshua Cooper Ramo, The Seventh Sense and The Age of the Unthinkable author

Less is known about the author.

Priya Parker is the founder of Thrive Labs, where she assists activists, elected officials, corporate executives, educators, and philanthropists in organizing transformative events. Trained in the field of conflict resolution, Parker has worked on race relations on American college campuses and on peace processes in the Arab world, southern Africa, and India. She studied organizational design at M.I.T., public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and political and social thought at the University of Virginia. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.