Playful Brain - by Sergio Pellis & Vivien Pellis (Paperback)

About the Book

For centuries the phenomenon of play has perplexed scientists across the board. Studies by biologists, psychologists, neuroscientists, anthropologists, and educators have excited keen debate and contention, producing diverse opinions that pose play as both a childish waste of time and a necessary tool in the development of a healthy fulfilled individual. But so far the lack of empirical research has meant that questions about functionality of play, its origins, and variety amongst different species remain unanswered. In this fully integrated study Sergio and Vivien Pellis address these questions synthesizing three decades of empirical research to create a truly seminal study into the whys and wherefores of play. With implications for so many disciplines, the Pellis' original research and novel findings will not only expand our current knowledge of play behaviour, but will inspire change and progress from the laboratory to the playground. Professor Sergio Pellis and Associate Professor Vivien Pellis both work at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Book Synopsis

For centuries the phenomenon of play has perplexed scientists across the board. Studies by biologists, psychologists, neuroscientists, anthropologists, and educators have excited keen debate and contention, producing diverse opinions that pose play as both a childish waste of time and a necessary tool in the development of a healthy fulfilled individual. But so far the lack of empirical research has meant that questions about functionality of play, its origins, and variety amongst different species remain unanswered. In this fully integrated study Sergio and Vivien Pellis address these questions synthesizing three decades of empirical research to create a truly seminal study into the whys and wherefores of play. With implications for so many disciplines, the Pellis original research and novel findings will not only expand our current knowledge of play behaviour, but will inspire change and progress from the laboratory to the playground. Professor Sergio Pellis and Associate Professor Vivien Pellis both work at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada."

Review Quotes

"an erudite exploration of the science and mystery of play"-- "International Play Association"

"Their descriptive and experimental studies on play in many species are inspirational, offering a blueprint on how to do science properly - and good science is never exclusive."-- "The Times Higher Educational Supplement"

"Sergio and Vivien Pellis' adventure into the wonders of the the 'playful brain' has fully legitimized play science as a mainstream discipline. Every page confirmed clinical hunches, evoked"aha's" and created fresh enthusiasm for the subject tinged with light-heartedness.A treat to read, it also motivated with urgency our need, as a play-ignorant culture, to move with boldness toward more play research and evidence-based play policies."-- "Stuart Brown - Founder and President of The National Institute for Play"

"The Playful Brain is just what is needed as play behaviour continues to emerge as one of the most important activities in which nonhuman and human animals engage.This book will set the standard for future interdisciplinary research involving biologists, psychologists, and neuroscientists."-- "Marc Bekoff - author of Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals (with Jessica Pierce) and Animals a"

"This book is uniquely important not just in giving play the space it so richly deserves, but in the extraordinarily comprehensive coverage that it offers and the lucidity with which it gives us glimpses beneath the surface of something that has played such a formative role in each of our individual life stories."-- "Robin Dunbar"

About the Author

Professor Sergio Pellis and Associate Professor Vivien Pellis both work at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.