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    A Time to Gather

    How Ritual Created the World--and How It Can Save Us

    Author Bruce Feiler
    Read by Bruce Feiler
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    Audio | Penguin Audio
    On sale May 19, 2026 | 10 Hours and 0 Minutes | 9798217336692
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    One of our great decoders of human connection chronicles the astonishing rise of new rituals around the world—and offers a road map for restoring togetherness with gatherings you’ll love

    Since time immemorial, humans have turned to ritual to connect us in periods of change. Until today. Birth rituals and coming-of-age rituals have plummeted; fewer than half of Americans are married; only one in three is buried. “It took us ten thousand years to establish cultural norms around how we mark collective life transitions,” writes Bruce Feiler. “It took us fifty years to dismantle them.” Can this threat to society be reversed?

    To find out, Feiler went on a round-the-world ritual road trip, attending—and participating in—life rituals in sixteen countries on six continents. These spectacles, some rarely seen, include a mass baptism in the Vatican, a tribal bride price negotiation in South Africa, an adolescent tooth filing in Bali, six weddings in Las Vegas, and ten funerals in Ireland.

    Beyond the decline in traditional rituals, Feiler discovered that we are in the midst of a ritual renaissance that is pushing back against apathy, loneliness, and digital saturation. Fed up with top-down scripts, everyday people, from boomers to Gen Z, are reimagining collective rituals at a remarkable pace, inventing fresh ways to gather around life, love, health, and family—and forging thriving communities in the process.

    As he did with Life Is in the Transitions, Feiler also collected stories of a hundred ritual designers and built a first-of-its kind database of ideas to make gatherings more effective—from creating sacred space to mediating conflict to generating “wows” that guests will talk about forever.

    From a master storyteller uncovering a thrilling phenomenon hiding in plain sight, A Time to Gather is both a stirring adventure and practical manual. It’s a landmark guide to modern ritual; a tool kit for turning everyday moments into unforgettable celebrations; and an invitation to reconnect and rejoice—together.
    © Jonica Moore
    Bruce Feiler is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including Life Is in the Transitions, The Secrets of Happy Families, and Walking the Bible. His three TED Talks have been viewed more than five million times, and he teaches the TED Course “How to Master Life Transitions.” A native of Savannah, Georgia, Bruce lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Linda Rottenberg, and their twin daughters. View titles by Bruce Feiler
    “Today, we are more connected than ever—but strangely, more alone as well. In A Time to Gather, Bruce Feiler explains why this is, and how to fix it in your life. Read this wonderful book and find what you have been looking for: your true home.” —Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard Professor and #1 New York Times bestselling author

    “In A Time to Gather, Bruce Feiler offers a profound meditation on the importance of ritual and explores a global renaissance of how we create new ways to give moments meaning. Feiler travels the world to examine the quiet power of repeated acts, from the sacred to the secular, the ancient to the modern. We all long for connection, meaning, and community. This book shows us how to create it.” —Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators

    “    Great things happen when people come together with intention. In A Time to Gather, Bruce Feiler travels the world to show us why rituals matter, and how the right ones can elevate our lives. It’s an incredible read for anyone passionate about human connection.” —Will Guidara, author of Unreasonable Hospitality

    “This marvelous new book overflows with joy, curiosity, and compassion. Bruce Feiler, who has the talent for making complicated things more understandable and mysterious things seem less far off, offers us a gift: a reminder that healing often begins when we come together. A Time to Gather is a profound guide to the power of community and the grace that emerges when we choose to show up for one another.” —James Martin, SJ, author of Learning to Pray and Work in Progress

    "Rituals ground us and give us meaning. In A Time to Gather, Feiler reminds us that we are most alive when we come together with intention.” —Esther Perel, Psychotherapist, Author and Host of Where Should We Begin

    “With his fascinating research, deep insight, practical suggestions, and round-the-world journey, Bruce Feiler illuminates how people are reimagining rituals to mark life’s meaningful transitions. A Time to Gather will inspire you to create your own.” —Gretchen Rubin, Bestselling author of The Happiness Project

    About

    One of our great decoders of human connection chronicles the astonishing rise of new rituals around the world—and offers a road map for restoring togetherness with gatherings you’ll love

    Since time immemorial, humans have turned to ritual to connect us in periods of change. Until today. Birth rituals and coming-of-age rituals have plummeted; fewer than half of Americans are married; only one in three is buried. “It took us ten thousand years to establish cultural norms around how we mark collective life transitions,” writes Bruce Feiler. “It took us fifty years to dismantle them.” Can this threat to society be reversed?

    To find out, Feiler went on a round-the-world ritual road trip, attending—and participating in—life rituals in sixteen countries on six continents. These spectacles, some rarely seen, include a mass baptism in the Vatican, a tribal bride price negotiation in South Africa, an adolescent tooth filing in Bali, six weddings in Las Vegas, and ten funerals in Ireland.

    Beyond the decline in traditional rituals, Feiler discovered that we are in the midst of a ritual renaissance that is pushing back against apathy, loneliness, and digital saturation. Fed up with top-down scripts, everyday people, from boomers to Gen Z, are reimagining collective rituals at a remarkable pace, inventing fresh ways to gather around life, love, health, and family—and forging thriving communities in the process.

    As he did with Life Is in the Transitions, Feiler also collected stories of a hundred ritual designers and built a first-of-its kind database of ideas to make gatherings more effective—from creating sacred space to mediating conflict to generating “wows” that guests will talk about forever.

    From a master storyteller uncovering a thrilling phenomenon hiding in plain sight, A Time to Gather is both a stirring adventure and practical manual. It’s a landmark guide to modern ritual; a tool kit for turning everyday moments into unforgettable celebrations; and an invitation to reconnect and rejoice—together.

    Author

    © Jonica Moore
    Bruce Feiler is the author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including Life Is in the Transitions, The Secrets of Happy Families, and Walking the Bible. His three TED Talks have been viewed more than five million times, and he teaches the TED Course “How to Master Life Transitions.” A native of Savannah, Georgia, Bruce lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Linda Rottenberg, and their twin daughters. View titles by Bruce Feiler

    Praise

    “Today, we are more connected than ever—but strangely, more alone as well. In A Time to Gather, Bruce Feiler explains why this is, and how to fix it in your life. Read this wonderful book and find what you have been looking for: your true home.” —Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard Professor and #1 New York Times bestselling author

    “In A Time to Gather, Bruce Feiler offers a profound meditation on the importance of ritual and explores a global renaissance of how we create new ways to give moments meaning. Feiler travels the world to examine the quiet power of repeated acts, from the sacred to the secular, the ancient to the modern. We all long for connection, meaning, and community. This book shows us how to create it.” —Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Supercommunicators

    “    Great things happen when people come together with intention. In A Time to Gather, Bruce Feiler travels the world to show us why rituals matter, and how the right ones can elevate our lives. It’s an incredible read for anyone passionate about human connection.” —Will Guidara, author of Unreasonable Hospitality

    “This marvelous new book overflows with joy, curiosity, and compassion. Bruce Feiler, who has the talent for making complicated things more understandable and mysterious things seem less far off, offers us a gift: a reminder that healing often begins when we come together. A Time to Gather is a profound guide to the power of community and the grace that emerges when we choose to show up for one another.” —James Martin, SJ, author of Learning to Pray and Work in Progress

    "Rituals ground us and give us meaning. In A Time to Gather, Feiler reminds us that we are most alive when we come together with intention.” —Esther Perel, Psychotherapist, Author and Host of Where Should We Begin

    “With his fascinating research, deep insight, practical suggestions, and round-the-world journey, Bruce Feiler illuminates how people are reimagining rituals to mark life’s meaningful transitions. A Time to Gather will inspire you to create your own.” —Gretchen Rubin, Bestselling author of The Happiness Project

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