Play Studies

According to the Leisure Studies Department at the University of Iowa, true leisure is “that place in which we realize our humanity.” If that’s true, argues Brigid Schulte, then we're doing dangerously little realizing of our humanity. In Overwhelmed, Schulte, a staff writer for The Washington Post, asks: Are our brains, our partners, our culture, and our bosses making it impossible for us to experience anything but “contaminated time”?

Few television shows revolutionized comedy as profoundly or have had such an enormous and continued impact on our culture as In Living Color. Inspired by Richard Pryor, Carol Burnett, and Eddie Murphy, Keenen Ivory Wayans created a television series unlike any that had come before it. In Living Color shaped American culture in ways both seen and unseen. Now, Homey Don't Play That! reveals the complete, captivating story of how In Living Color overcame enormous odds to become a major, zeitgeist-seizing hit.

In this classic evaluation of play that has become a “must-listen” for those in game design, Dutch philosopher Johan Huizinga defines play as the central activity in flourishing societies. Like civilization, play requires structure and participants willing to create within limits. Starting with Plato, Huizinga traces the contribution of Homo Ludens, or “man the player” through medieval times, the Renaissance, and into our modern civilization.

For decades women have been playing competitive sports thanks in large part to the protective cover of Title IX. Since passage of that law, the number of women participating in sports and the level of competition in high school, college, and professionally, has risen dramatically. In Fair Play, award-winning journalist Katie Barnes traces the evolution of women’s sports as a pastime and a political arena, where equality and fairness have been fought over for generations.

"As a former Sunday School Teacher and a Bible Study participant, I really appreciate this book! I think every Christian or even questioning Christian would really enjoy this book and and give you ideas of your own. Read this book; you won’t regret it!" -- Lila J. Who Are the “Rest of Us”? The “rest of us” don’t usually read Bible study books. We might not attend church every Sunday, but we try to live with quiet integrity and faith. We may know the words to old hymns but aren’t that much into singing them. We’re not especially drawn to organized religion—we’re more ...

Combined for great value! The multi-award-winning SmartPass study guide with and without commentary options. Full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the play. When characters have to ask "Are all the people mad?" you need a guide! Explore this topsy-turvy world to understand, enjoy, and analyse the language, imagery, and themes of Shakespeare's dark comedy.

Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places reunites spirituality and theology in a cultural context where these two vital facets of Christian faith have been rent asunder. Lamenting the vacuous, often pagan nature of contemporary American spirituality, Eugene Peterson here firmly grounds spirituality once more in Trinitarian theology and offers a clear, practical statement of what it means to actually live out the Christian life.

In Stupid Black Men, he takes on the mindset of those people who always capture the most media attention—as well as masses of public money—people who say that racism is the root of all problems and who end up hurting precisely those they claim to be helping.

In a world awash with voices claiming divine endorsement, many are led astray, lost in a sea of misinformation and doubt. The world is in turmoil and it's easy to feel lost. Countless believers are ensnared in a web of confusion—unsure about how to engage, vote, and pray in these tumultuous times. How does God see your nation? What is He truly saying? And importantly, are you ready to listen?

Full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the play. Universally accepted as Shakespeare's finest play, we peel back the layers of Hamlet to discover how and why it deserves such a place of honour in world literature.

Melanie is the kind of girl who looks out for herself. When she's not mooching off boyfriends, she makes her money by scamming her way into high-value medical studies. But when she turns up for a mysterious study involving a hypnotic TV set and a seductive but sadistic vixen, she'll learn that she hasn't yet begun to learn just how pleasurable it can be to submit to science!

This dramatic retelling of the gospel illuminates the unique role we can play in the amazing story God is telling. Sure, good things happen, sometimes beautiful things. But tragic things happen too. What does it mean? We find ourselves in the middle of a story that is sometimes wonderful...

Written as a novel, the whole play is penned with character insights into what each person is thinking before and after they speak. All of the original text is included but updated for a modern understanding. Rather than place the play in its original setting this novel is set in a time unknown and written after the Gender Wars and probably after Religious Consolidation in a steampunk era without electricity. Whether you read this novel for study or merely for enjoyment then the ideal would be that you complete it with an overwhelming desire to then read the original play in its original ...

The multi award-winning SmartPass study guide with and without commentary options. This is a full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis for any student to fully understand and appreciate the play. Universally accepted as Shakespeare's finest play, we peel back the layers of Hamlet to discover how and why it deserves such a place of honour in world literature.

Embark on a captivating journey through the works of William Shakespeare with "Shakespeare in Brief." This indispensable companion offers a fresh and accessible approach to exploring the timeless plays that have captured the hearts and minds of audiences for centuries. This edition has been updated with enhanced accuracy and corrected errors. Key Features: 1. Succinct Synopses: Each play is distilled into a clear and concise synopsis, allowing you to grasp the core elements of the story quickly. 2. Character Connections: Uncover the intricate web of relationships between Shakespeare's ...

Dive into the world of design and innovation with a twist in the groundbreaking eBook "Fun, Play, Innovate"! This book is a treasure trove of knowledge for all innovators, designers, thinkers, and creators who believe in the power of fun, and its role in sparking creativity and innovation. This engaging book is not your usual deep dive into design and innovation. It substantiates the science of fun and playfulness, and underlines their significance in the process of Design and Innovation (DI). Starting with the 'Fun Theory in Design', this book provides a fascinating insight into how fun ...

Humanoid Robots: Everyday AI Machines of Tomorrow envisions a world where robots seamlessly manage daily chores, support healthcare, and redefine workplaces, ushering in a new era where they are catalysts for societal transformation.

Here is the multi award-winning SmartPass study guide, with and without commentary options. This is a full-cast, unabridged performance with comprehensive commentary and analysis to allow any student to fully understand and appreciate the play. Meet literature's greatest villain in this tragedy, fuelled by jealous rage. Journey into the twisted mind of Iago, who freely admits, "I am not what I am", and truly get under the skin of this wondrous play.

On the face of it, women's sport is on the rise, garnering more attention and grassroots involvement than ever before. However, the truth is that in many respects progress is stalling, or even falling back. Sharron Davies is no stranger to battling the routine sexism the sporting world. She missed out on Olympic Gold because of blatant doping among East German athletes in the 1980s, and has never received justice. Now, biological males are being allowed to compete directly against women under the guise of trans 'self-ID', a development that could destroy the integrity of female sport.

We're living through what is arguably one of the most exciting, confusing, and powerful social moments in the history of humanity, the shift from the Digital Age to the Virtual Age. This shift is being driven by technology, and the people who are leading it are the ones who know it best: the Virtual Natives. This book will introduce you to the Virtual Native cohort and mindset, decipher their socio-cultural and economic experiences, and unpack their expectations of companies looking to engage, market, or employ them.