Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the SoulFrom a leading expert, a groundbreaking book on the science of play, and its essential role in fueling our happiness and intelligence throughout our lives We've all seen the happiness on the face of a child while playing in the school yard. Or the blissful abandon of a golden retriever racing across a lawn. This is the joy of play. By definition, play is purposeless, all-consuming, and fun. But as Dr. Stuart Brown illustrates, play is anything but trivial. It is a biological drive as integral to our health as sleep or nutrition. We are designed by nature to flourish through play. Dr. Brown has spent his career studying animal behavior and conducting more than six-thousand "play histories" of humans from all walks of life-from serial murderers to Nobel Prize winners. Backed by the latest research, Play explains why play is essential to our social skills, adaptability, intelligence, creativity, ability to problem solve and more. Particularly in tough times, we need to play more than ever, as it's the very means by which we prepare for the unexpected, search out new solutions, and remain optimistic. A fascinating blend of cutting-edge neuroscience, biology, psychology, social science, and inspiring human stories of the transformative power of play, this book proves why play just might be the most important work we can ever do. |
Contents
| 3 | |
Chapter Two what is play and why do we do | 15 |
Chapter Three we are built for play | 47 |
Chapter Four parenthood is childs play | 77 |
Chapter Five the opposite of play is not work | 123 |
Chapter Six playing together | 157 |
Chapter Seven does play have a dark side? | 175 |
Chapter Eight a world at play | 195 |
Acknowledgments | 219 |
Other editions - View all
Play: how it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul Stuart Brown,Christopher Vaughan No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
addiction ADHD adult adulthood allow animal play baby bear become began brain development Brian Sutton-Smith child childhood coaches hockey Coolidge effect create creative culture emotional emotionally engage engineers enjoy experience explore feel friends genes Gillian Lynne going golden retriever grow hand healthy human ideas imaginative play important innovation interaction Jane Goodall joking juvenile kids laughing lives look ment Nate Jones nature Neoteny neural neurons opioids parents Patch Adams physical play activities play behavior play drive play histories play personality play signals players playful pleasure problem rats realized relationship remember ride Roger Guillemin romantic love rough-and-tumble play sea squirt self-handicap sense sleep social someone sort story Storytelling survival talk teachers teasing things tion told toys true play understand video games