Rent The Case for Make Believe: Saving Play in a Commercialized World (The New Press)

Synopsis

"Drawing authoritatively on the psychology of childhood and on the puppet therapy that she has created, Susan Linn has written an eloquent brief on the indispensability of unmediated, unadulterated play."
--Howard Gardner, author of Five Minds for the Future

"Susan Linn's eloquent voice reminds us exactly how essential time for make believe play is for children growing up in our media-saturated, commercialized society."
--Alvin F. Poussaint, MD, Harvard Medical School

"A superb book. . . .Linn's extensive knowledge of children and creative play shows readers . . . how make believe helps children navigate early life well--to feel, heal, and communicate."
--Raffi Cavoukian, singer, author, founder of Child Honoring

"Commonsense, practical guidelines and suggestions for parents who want to make room for play in their children's lives."
--David Elkind, American Journal of Play

In her nationally celebrated book Consuming Kids, pioneering psychologist and children's advocate Susan Linn--whom Howard Gardner has called "a hero for our times"--provided an unsparing look at modern childhood molded by commercialism. In The Case for Make Believe, Linn turns her attention to play. According to Linn, although play is crucial to human development and children are born with an innate capacity for make believe, the convergence of ubiquitous technology and unfettered commercialism actually prevents them from playing. In fact, in modern day America, nurturing creative play is not only countercultural--it threatens corporate profits. In an age when toys come from TV shows and dress-up means wearing Disney costumes, Dr. Linn connects the dots for us, laying out the inextricable links between play, creativity, and health--and shows us how and why we must reclaim childhood for our children.

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