This reading group is an extension of the ideas discussed at the July 2022 organizers retreat. We will be discussing The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker (available here; you can get reimbursed for your purchase here). The book is about changing our orientation towards gathering. To paraphrase Parker, it moves our attention away from the ‘stuff’ (the mechanics or logistics) of gathering and returns it to the actual gathering and the skills required to shape group dynamics and collective conversations.
The goal of this reading group is to provide a space for people to engage with the contents of the book in a semi-structured manner and get to know one another better. The reading group is optimized for time zones in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe (UTC+0 to UTC+12 specifically) and will meet weekly, starting Saturday, 15th October 2022.
If this time doesn’t work for you, check out the reading group the Waterloo organizer is hosting.
The group will be meeting weekly, on Saturdays at UTC 9:00 am (i.e., 11 am CET, 2:30 pm IST, 6 pm JST, 8 pm AEDT). Each session will be 90 minutes long, hosted by me (prii#8005). Our first session will start on October 15th, 2022, and will continue weekly.
The discussions will (as of now) follow a 3-2-1 model: 3 things you liked, 2 things you disliked or disagreed with, and 1 question that the chapters inspire you to ask. They will also draw on personal experiences. I think 6-12 people make for an ideal number for online calls. We will most likely use breakout rooms if we exceed that number.
You’ll be sent the zoom links to join each session ahead of time. Sign up below.
<aside> 📢 We’ll be starting at the pace of two chapters a week. I’m proposing two chapters a week over one chapter a week because the book isn’t dense — it’s well-written and easy to get through. And because a four-week commitment may be easier than an eight-week one. However, this plan is tentative and we can always adjust the pace.
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October 15th, 2022 @ 9 am UTC / 11 am CEST / 2:30 pm IST / 6 pm JST / 8 pm AEDT
October 22nd, 2022 @ 9 am UTC / 11 am CEST / 2:30 pm IST / 6 pm JST / 8 pm AEDT