This book is one of the few available that try to put play into a cultural and historical context. ( )

Just as the title describes, this book is a study of how our culture, in all its aspects, has been influenced by the instinct of play. I used this book to jump-start a paper in college, and remember little of it except that it helped solidify my impression that the element of play is very important to our sanity, both as individuals and as a culture. ( )