Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul

Play is a real treasure of a popular science book. Based on Brown’s work as a clinician and deep familiarity with the literature, it moves through the deep importance of play to all animals, and especially human beings. Far from being frivolous, play and a playful attitude are associated with learning, with success, and with a longer and healthier life. Imaginative play, exuberant play, and play free from consequence or adult supervision, are what makes us human, and what makes life worth living.

Brown strays into pat self-help in places, and Boomer kid-shaming in others, but this book is everything I wanted Exuberance to be.