📚 6 Books mentioned in "199. What Makes a Good Gathering? | No Stupid Questions" of No Stupid Questions
Podcast: No Stupid Questions
Episode: 199. What Makes a Good Gathering? | No Stupid Questions
Published on June 12, 2024
Here’s a list of all the books mentioned in this episode. Click on the links to watch specific excerpts on YouTube and feel free to purchase the books if they caught your interest!
A Man Called Ove
Buy A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman on Amazon
He wrote A Man Called Ove.
In this segment, Mike discusses the book "A Man Called Ove," highlighting its author, Fredrik Backman.
I don't even care about finishing the rest of the principles for Priya Parker; now all I want to talk about is— like, I kind of feel like if I were going to start a book club, I think the first book we would read is A Man Called Ove!
Angela, one of the hosts, expresses her desire to start a book club, suggesting that the first book they would read is A Man Called Ove.
I've read A Man Called Ove—I always say A Man Called Ove because that is the Swedish pronunciation.
Angela mentions that she has read 'A Man Called Ove' and highlights its Swedish pronunciation, attributing it to author Fredrik Backman.
Anxious People
Buy Anxious People by Fredrik Backman on Amazon
I've read Anxious People three times.
Angela, a host of the podcast, mentioned that she has read 'Anxious People' multiple times, suggesting that the author is Fredrik Backman.
Beartown
Buy Beartown by Fredrik Backman on Amazon
It's called Beartown by Fredrik Backman, who is maybe my favorite fiction author.
Mike, a host of the No Stupid Questions podcast, mentions 'Beartown' as the second book his book club read, adding that Fredrik Backman is perhaps his favorite fiction author.
Grit
Buy Grit by Angela Duckworth on Amazon
We did read Grit for that!
During a remote meeting, Mike, one of the hosts of the podcast, noted that his book club read 'Grit', written by Angela Duckworth, who co-hosts the show.
I will say in the seven years of all these books, no book has come up more frequently in subsequent discussions, whether we're reading science fiction or poetry or about race relations or really boring non-fiction books about passion and perseverance, or an amazing book called Grit, somehow—not that it comes up every time; I'm not overstating it—but it comes up more frequently than any other book.
In a discussion about various books they've encountered over the years, Mike highlights that the book 'Grit' has been mentioned more frequently than any other title, emphasizing its significance across diverse topics, even in unconventional genres.
The Art of Gathering
Buy The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker on Amazon
So you know, if The Art of Gathering really is an art, some of us are going to be really far down the path, and they're amazing!
In this segment, Angela discusses 'The Art of Gathering' by Priya Parker, suggesting that if gathering truly is an art, then some individuals are far ahead in mastering it.
I was recently reading an amazing book called The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker.
In this episode, Mike discusses the insights he gained from reading 'The Art of Gathering' by Priya Parker, which serves as a springboard for the overarching topic of their conversation.
Okay, I have not yet read The Art of Gathering, but if I take the art in the title seriously, maybe your friend, and maybe Priya Parker herself, the oracle, maybe they are like the Leonardo da Vinci, so they have taken this art of gathering to its highest apogee!
Angela, a host of the No Stupid Questions podcast, mentions that she has not yet read the book 'The Art of Gathering' by Priya Parker, but suggests that it explores the concept of gathering with great depth.
I actually agree with all of this; obviously, I'm passionate about Parker's book; I think it's really valuable, and I've loved everything!
In the podcast, Mike expresses his enthusiasm for Priya Parker's book, highlighting its valuable insights and how much he enjoys it.
Okay, I don't know who said this for all— I know Priya Parker said this—but I remember it really well, and I am not the first to say it: it was advice on dinner parties, and it was like no more than six, no fewer than five!
During the podcast, Mike recalls advice from Priya Parker about the optimal number of guests for a dinner party, suggesting that there should be no fewer than five and no more than six attendees.
And to your point, Parker talks in the book about this interesting concept that some people in a group dinner may want to leave earlier and some may want to stay later, and so long as the host is okay with either one of those things, one of the things she recommends is at some point— let's say after an hour, you've eaten the dinner—then it's okay; now we're going to leave the kitchen and move into the living room.
In this episode, Mike discusses principles from Priya Parker's book, 'The Art of Gathering,' particularly how hosts can manage transitions during gatherings, allowing guests to leave early or stay longer based on their comfort.
Now, back to Mike and Angela's conversation about gatherings on this topic of rules that we're talking about right now: Priya Parker gave a TED Talk in 2019, and one of the things she talked about were popup rules.
During the discussion, Mike brings up Priya Parker, referencing her TED Talk from 2019, where she shared insights about the rules of gatherings.
But one of the most uncomfortable situations that Priya Parker brings up in her book is there's a group of friends that used to get together like once a year for a weekend, and one year one member of the group, who was in the military, only had the same weekend that he could get together with his girlfriend.
In this episode, Mike discusses uncomfortable situations raised in Priya Parker's book, 'The Art of Gathering,' where she describes a group of friends who typically meet once a year, and how one military member's schedule complicates their reunion.
Now that goes to one of the principles that Priya Parker talks about, which I think is pretty uncomfortable for a lot of people, and that's this idea of exclusivity.
In the podcast, Mike discusses a principle from Priya Parker's book, 'The Art of Gathering,' highlighting its exploration of exclusivity in group gatherings and how it relates to his experiences in a book club.
When I was reading Parker's book, I thought, "Wow, we maybe inadvertently followed a lot of the principles that allowed us to sustain this."
Mike, a host of the podcast, references reading Priya Parker's book, 'The Art of Gathering,' and discusses how the principles from it relate to his experiences at a book club.
This was so different; he pulls out a wrinkled old copy of Priya Parker's book The Art of Gathering and he said, "I've given more copies of this book away than any other book, and here's my copy.
Mike, one of the hosts of the podcast, describes how a friend presented him with his personal copy of 'The Art of Gathering' by Priya Parker, noting its significance and impact after a meaningful gathering.
Tribe
Buy Tribe by Sebastian Junger on Amazon
The first book we read was Tribe by Sebastian Junger, and I actually thought it was an incredible first book because it basically talks about so many of these principles of why we are a tribe and how people gather and become sort of a group, but very different than the Priya Parker thing.
In a discussion about book clubs, Mike, a host of 'No Stupid Questions' podcast, highlights 'Tribe' by Sebastian Junger as the first book they read, praising its exploration of tribal principles and the nature of human gatherings.