PLAY FROM BIRTH TO TWELVE AND BEYOND.

Doris Fromberg & Doris Bergen, Editors. New York: Garland, 1998. 533 pp. $100.00. In this text, Fromberg and Bergen provide a state-of-the-art, comprehensive, and totally fascinating view of play. In 61 diverse chapters written by 75 highly respected authors, the book addresses topics such as play contexts and meanings, perspectives on play development, physical and social contexts of play, meanings of playful experiences, the study of various types of play, play in the disciplines, and the current, and future, status of play.

Not the least of the book's endearing features is the contributors' self-descriptions and narratives about the role of play in their own lives. The descriptions are candidly and humorously written; they also convincingly reveal the effects of early experiences and play on one's later interests and academic pursuits. The reader will return to the earlier chapters with new insights and interest after experiencing these close-up and inspiring encounters with the authors' families.

Some of the chapters, such as Morris's brilliant "No Learning By Coercion," are more abstract, detailed, and rooted in ancient history and theory. In contrast, the lighter and more readable formats of Davidson's "Language and Play" and Frost's "Perspectives on Play in Playgrounds" provide a welcome respite. Levin's chapter on "Play With Violence" and Kafai's "Play and Technology" provide sensitive and knowledgeable perspectives on current issues, while chapters addressing "Intergenerational Play" and "Play in Clinical Settings" (by Patton and Gitlin, respectively) shed light on classical topics.

The text is well-suited to the graduate student of early childhood, elementary, or middle-school education. Human development graduate students will appreciate the life-span emphasis from multiple perspectives. Researchers with interests in child development and play also are sure to find a gold mine here.

After completing this book, the reader will more fully realize the importance of play throughout history. The enlightened reader may concur with Jambor, who, in his self-description, quotes George Bernard Shaw: "Man does not cease to play because he grows old; man grows old because he ceases to play!" Reviewed by Susan Trostle, Associate Professor of Education, University of Rhode Island, Kingston