Is there an easier way to add gson to my project?

In app/build.gradle:

 dependencies {
    compile 'com.google.code.gson:gson:2.8.2'
}

If you are using Android Studio you can use the following workflow instead of manually changing Gradle files:

1. File -> Project Structure -> Modules -> app -> Dependencies Tab
2. Click '+' in the bottom left corner and select "Library dependency"
3. In the search field type: "gson" and click Search
4. Select "com.google.code.gson:gson:2.8.5"