Beyond
Boredom and Anxiety, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is one
of his earliest published accounts of his experiments in search
of flow. Though the accounts of the research itself are
scientifically joyless, the insights and conclusions are positively
inspiring. His more recent book, Flow,
the Psychology of Optimal Experienceis a more accessible
recapitulation of his earlier findings.
The
Art of Play, by Dr. Adam Blatner - one of the best, and
most playful resources on sociodramatic play
Society
Amazon.com might be able to find you a copy
of the original, 1978 edition of myThe
Well-Played Game. Click here
for the third edition.
Just
for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary - "...Torvalds'
real genius lies not so much in his programming abilities,
though
those are extraordinary, but in his capacity for that thing
so many of us never learn to do: have fun. Fun, Torvalds
believes, is at heart very far from the frivolous thing
capitalism and religion have made it out to be. Fun is,
rather, the highest form of human behavior, the thing that
comes after survival and community, the thing, in other
words, that not only makes life worth living, but is -
or ought to be - a lifestyle in itself.
Work
Fun
Works: Leslie Yerkes makes a major contribution to
those of us who believe that it is actually possible for work
to be
fun: case studies, stories, eleven "principles" for
making work fun, and vice versa
Managing
to Have Fun is Matt Weinstein's artful collection of
actually fun things managers have managed to do in the name
of work. His stories of the silly, good-hearted things they've
done are entertaining, empowering and inspiring. Not profound.
Not transforming. But definitely funniferous.*
The
New Games Book is a recipe for throwing a party for
an entire community. It conveys a spirit of play and openness
that reflects the best of the early 70's. More
New Games is a valuable extension to theme, as long
as you already own The
New Games Book
Games
for Actors and Non-Actors "A genuinely inspiring handbook
packed with games, exercises, methods and techniques from the
world-famous author of Theatre of the Oppressed."
Improvisation
for theatre by Viola Spolin is an excellent introduction
to the use of theater games with children, and for me the foundation
of my exploration of children's games and play. Her "Seven
Aspects of Spontaneity" in theoritical part of the book
is a most insightful introduction to play and creativity, and
worth the price of the book alone
