1 Introduction
2 A history of "silly play"
3 Playing with objects
4 Playing with other children
5 Pretending
6 Playful people?
7 Play therapy and child abuse
8 Adult games in a changing world
9 Endgames
Bibliography
Index
Biography
David Cohen is a psychologist, film-maker and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. His film on the Soham murders, When Holly Went Missing, was nominated for a BAFTA award.
‘This book on play combines entertainment with serious debate. It covers a wide range of historical, psychological and analytic material, and includes detailed observations of play in the author's own children, following the tradition of Piaget. It combines broad erudition with a lively and readable style. It can be strongly recommended for scholars of play and human development, but also for general readers fascinated by the topic.’ Professor Peter K. Smith, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK
'Scholarly, erudite yet entertaining, Cohen's book takes us to the heart of the very serious subject of play. Play and indeed playfulness is undervalued these days, possibly in danger of becoming a lost art, and this new edition, full of classic and new research and ideas, helps us see what a vitally important role play has in children's development and in life in general. This book will be a boon to all who work with children, and the interested layperson.' Dr Graham Music, Consultant Psychotherapist, Tavistock Clinic London, UK
