BOOK REVIEW
Book Title: The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters
Author: Priya Parker
Publisher: Riverhead Books
List Price: $18.00
Format: Audio Book, 320 pages
Publication Date: May 2018
ISBN: 9781594634932
Reviewer: Sandra Rojas, M.Ed., PMP
Review Date: June 2026
Introduction
Project managers live in meetings. From kickoffs and retrospectives to stakeholder reviews and working sessions, calendars fill quickly, and the expectation is clear: bring people together, make decisions, and move the work forward. Yet even well-run sessions can miss the mark.
In The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, author Priya Parker argues that the category of a meeting is not the same as its purpose. For example, while the logistics of a kickoff are important in informing key individuals, the sessions can also be the first time a team gathers. In this case, the purpose may be to inform and connect a team. Until organizers define why people are coming together and what should be different when they leave, meetings risk becoming routine exercises that fill calendars without moving anything forward.
Overview of Book Structure
The Art of Gathering is organized into eight chapters, each addressing a distinct phase of a gathering, from the decision to convene through planning, execution, and closure. Each chapter title signals Parker’s approach and sets the tone for what follows. For example, a chapter called Never Start a Funeral with Logistics challenges the habit of opening sessions with housekeeping and logistics, arguing that how you begin signals what kind of experience the gathering will be. Parker draws from experiences ranging from large-scale gatherings to intimate dinner parties. For project managers who think in terms of process stages, the structure feels immediately familiar.
Highlights
Three ideas stood out as particularly relevant to project management practice:
Start with a Purpose. A gathering should name the specific need, tension, or decision it exists to address, not just the topic on the agenda. For project managers, this means asking: what needs to be true at the end of this session that is not true right now? Who is invited, what the invitation communicates, how the session is named, and how the space is arranged all shape how people show up before a single word is spoken. For project managers, it means these are not administrative details. These details communicate to participants what kind of gathering this will be and what to expect.
Play the host. The host’s job is to protect the purpose of the gathering and adjust when something is not working, whether that means serving as a directive facilitator or distributing leadership across smaller groups. Lean into the role of a host and adjust according to the need and environment. For project managers, a written agenda manages the topics, but it does not manage the room. Knowing your group and being willing to redirect are what separate a facilitated session from a routine one.
More…
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How to cite this work: Rojas, Sandra (2026). Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, book review, PM World Journal, Vol. XV, Issue VII, July. Available online at https://pmworldjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/pmwj166-Jul2026-Rojas-Art-of-Gathering-book-review.pdf
About the Reviewer
Sandra Rojas
USA & Mexico
Sandra Rojas, M.Ed., PMP, is a Project Manager at the McCombs School of Business Office of Instructional Innovation at The University of Texas at Austin, where she leads initiatives spanning systems implementation, operational transformation, and process improvement across instructional design and educational technology. With over a decade of experience in higher education, she has built her career across institutions including the University of California San Diego and UT Austin, working at the intersection of people, processes, and organizational change. Connect with her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/sandraerojas
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