The title caught my eye. Being a mom of eleven children at all ages and stages, I figured this would certainly have something that I could use. What I wasn't prepared for was the way I learned about the importance of play in my life and in my marriage. I had several epiphanies while reading this book.
To get the tough stuff done right up front: it is a bit dry, but definitely makes a science book accessible to the layman, it refers endlessly to evolution and the way in which humans and animals have adapted to our world through the medium of play. But the science beyond the evolution, I believe, is real and could be life-changing if I don't believe all of his 'whys'.
Now, to tell you why I think it is well worth reading. I learned so much about how adults, men and women use 'play' and how important it is. I was able to identify the ways I 'play' and the importance of it in my life. Also, I noticed that for a large part my husband has stopped 'playing' and it is costing him in physical and emotional health. We are already working on fixing that!
I keep putting the word 'play' in quotation marks because the word is used loosely. The word encompasses both what we would think of as traditional play and also ways in which we unwind or enjoy life that would not really be thought of as play by everyone. Let me give you some examples. There are eight types of play listed in the book. I could identify strongly with three of them. First, the 'explorer' category. An explorer loves to go to new places, physically, emotionally, or through research. Second, the 'director' enjoys planning and executing events, instigates excursions, and are born organizers. "All the world's a stage and everyone else are the players in their game." And third, the 'artist/creator' finds joy in making things. (I love to make time/money management planners for people who don't know that about me.) There are five other categories that resonated less with me, but were fascinating to learn about. If you want to know more about them, you'll have to read the book!
(*This was written about six weeks ago and for some reason never got published.)
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