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The Art of Gathering

How We Meet and Why It Matters

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The Art of Gathering

By: Priya Parker
Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

How to create the most transformative meetings and moments

Being deprived of gathering has revealed just how important it is to us; to connect with others, collaborate, share ideas and create moving, life-affirming experiences.

At a time when coming together is more crucial than ever, Priya Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that can help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences in their lives, large and small, for work and for play.

Drawing on her wide 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 - a court hearing, a flash-mob party, an Arab-Israeli summer camp - and explains how simple changes can invigorate any group experience. The result is a book full of exciting ideas of real-world applications and one that will forever alter the way you look at your next business meeting, dinner party and garden barbecue.


'Priya Parker has created both an art and a science to gathering in ways that can bring joy and fulfilment to any meeting' Deepak Chopra

'Hosts of all kinds, this is a must-read!' Chris Anderson, creator of TED

'A long overdue and urgent manifesto' Seth Godin, New York Times bestselling author of This is Marketing

© Priya Parker 2018 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

 Career Success Meetings & Presentations Politics & Government Psychology Psychology & Mental Health

Critic Reviews

[A] remarkable new book about how we spend our time together, at work, at home, and beyond. If you want to get more out of every event, whether it's with your boss and co-workers or friends and family, The Art of Gathering can help
[A] fantastic book . . . . Good things happen when people connect. Especially when we follow Priya's sage advice
Enthusiastically delivered formulas for better get-togethers... useful to those whose job it is to plan meetings, conferences, and the like and a worthy survival manual for consumers of the same
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 (Sherry Turkle)
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 (Daniel L. Shapiro)
All stars
Most relevant
I like that the book builds on the regular principles or expectations of hosting gatherings but instead of focusing on logistics and practical considerations, Parker gives a framework that can be applied to a variety of gatherings to enable hosts to intentionally design these events for maximum meaning making. I learnt some general tips that I can apply to a lot of my gatherings but also had insight to question some of the conventional formats and consider how to put my own spin on gatherings to make them work for those gathered - not just follow rules or etiquette for the sake of it.

Useful and engaging blueprint for holding meetings that matter

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Highly recommend this book for being inspired to reimagine your next work meeting or personal gathering. I’m taking this to all my gatherings from now on. Biggest take away is the importance of the opening and closing. Such key moments I’ve often let happen by chance or without any preparation or thought. Thanks Priya Parker

Great book!

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As many other books of this genre have a few supplementary PDFs to view along with it. I'm literally
reading a chapter called 'this chart will help' and there is no chart.

Aside from that I'm loving the book and it's very well narrated. Greatfor anyone looking to hosta memorable event, or anyone who engages with people daily and is looking for a way to connect to a purpose that will inspire & energise them.

Please please please. Add a PDF handout

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Clearly someone who knows her craft. Plenty of stories of successful gatherings and learning ones, even though we can learn from success of what to keep doing. I have so many ideas now to take into the great variety of places I host, professionally and at home. Perfect timing with Christmas approaching and the large community of our friends and friends of our four boys coming to our place. Thank you Priya.

Abundant Ideas to Gather Well

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.