Serious Play

I have owned this book for more than a decade, & have bought it about the same time as 'The Joy of Not Working'. The guiding philosophies in both books have been my constant inspirations over all these years. Since retiring from active corporate life at the age of 43 in the early 90's, & running my own strategy consulting business, I have always made all my days creative yet rewarding, relaxing yet productive, healthful & yet fun, by using the hundreds of great ideas from both wonderful books. In a way, I have allowed the playfulness I once experienced as a kid to gradually wend its way back into my retirement years. I know so many corporate rats these days are caught up in the rapidly changing & highly-pressurised pace of work & life that they have lost touch with leisure activities. This particular book is certainly a unique resource for those who face this stressful problem. Let me use the author's own exact words to recap the essence & the principal ideas of this particular book: "...Though the topic is leisure, the search for leisure wellness doesn't happen in a leisurely fashion. You must actually work at changing your attitude toward leisure time if you expect to see any change. In the following chapters, I'll show you how to (re)ignite a passionate interest in the quality of your leisure life. You'll begin by assessing your own level of leisure wellness, & then how you view time in general. Next, we'll take a look at how th enotion of work & leisure ethics evolved in this country. These first steps set the stage for a deeper investigation into your own leisure values, preferences, & interests through an exercise called the leisure search, a simple method of applying proven job-hunting techniques to search for rewarding leisure opportunities in your own community; you'll learn how to find local people & organisations who share your interests. Separate chapters are devoted to the side issues of time awareness & retirement planning, with exercises created especially to help you analyse your schedule & find new sources of free time. Other exercises will help you develop more flexible attitudes toward the wide range of leisure choices available today..." Overall, the book is entertaining & insightful. The writing style is straight talk, with plenty of question time for readers to ponder & reflect. The author has obviously given it a lot of careful thought, coupled with his own personal experience. In conclusion, it is powerful guide for helping readers to improve their personal lives & lifestyles. From the first page to the end pages, it is jam-packed with worthwhile information. Let me end this review with an observation by ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus: "We are most nearly ourselves when we achieve the seriousness of a child at play."

No one their death bed ever said, "I wish I had spent one more day in the office." Waiting to play until you retire may be too late. We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. The author offers advice for re-invigorating your leisure life.

No one their death bed ever said, "I wish I had spent one more day in the office." Waiting to play until you retire may be too late. We do not stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. The author offers advice for re-invigorating your leisure life.It's time to take your play as seriously as your work.