First Beacon Press Academic paperback published for the trade, 1955, 13th Printing. Contains a Foreword, footnotes (including bibliographical sources), and an index ; [viii ] + 220 pages; 5 3/8" x 8"; decorated wraps, perfect-bound (paper covers, glued). Original 1962 price still visible on cover. Book Condition: Very Good with some tropical speckling to Page Edges, otherwise, clean, clear text in tightly bound volume. No internal inscriptions, markings or stains. In a nicely-preserved state , but obviously read and with modest signs of use — exterior has moderate surface rub, some light spotting and edge nicking - the spine is faded; The interior pages have some age related tanning. In Homo Ludens, the classic evaluation of play that has become a "must-read" 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. Huizinga defines play against a rich theoretical background, using cross-cultural examples from the humanities, business, and politics. Homo Ludens defines play for generations to come. "Homo Luden: A Study of the Play Element in Culture" by Johan Huizinga explores an aspect of culture which is all too often ignored as unimportant. As we find out through Huizinga's engaging and enlightening book, the "play element" is of prime importance. This is a Beacon Press paperback from 1962. The front cover sports a playful mid-century design by Christensen. The concept of "the Magic Circle" was introduced in "Homo Ludens". Huizinga's work as a historian and original thinker is important. He was openly critical of Fascism and died in a detention camp run by the Nazis. From the cover write-up: " 'Homo Ludens' is the most important work in the philosophy of history in our century. A writer with a sharp and powerful intelligence, helped by a gift of expression and exposition which is very rare, Huizinga assembles and interprets one of the most fundamental elements of human culture : the instinct for play. Reading this volume, one suddenly discovers how profoundly the achievements in law, science, poetry, war, philosophy, and in the arts, are nourished by the instinct of play." — ... Roger Caillois, editor of "Diogenes". CHAPTERS :— Nature and Significance of Play as a Cultural Phenomenon.— The Play-Concept as Expressed in Language — Play and Contest as Civilizing Function — Play and Law — Play and War — Playing and Knowing — Play and Poetry — The Elements of Mythopoiesis [the artificial creation of myths] — Play-Forms in Philosophy — Play-Forms in Art — Western Civilization 'Sub Specie Ludi' — The Play-Element in contemporary Civilization. "A happier age than ours once made bold to call our species by the name of Homo Sapiens. In the course of time we have come to realize that we are not so reasonable after all as the Eighteenth Century with its worship of reason and naive optimism, though us; "hence moder fashion inclines to designate our species asHomo Faber: Man the Maker. But though faber may not be quite so dubious as sapiens it is, as a name specific of the human being, even less appropriate, seeing that many animals too are makers. There is a third function, howver, applicable to both human and animal life, and just as important as reasoning and making--namely, playing. it seems to me that next to Homo Faber, and perhaps on the same level as Homo Sapiens, Homo Ludens, Man the Player, deserves a place in our nomenclature. "--from the Foreward, by Johan Huizinga
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