PLAYFUL INTELLIGENCE

Dr. DeBenedet is a practicing physician who is also deeply interested in behavioral science. In this book, he confronts issues common to many adults -- feelings of anxiety and stress threaten to overwhelm the enjoyment that people might otherwise experience in adulthood. Even if you are eating well, exercising enough, and carving out some time for leisure activities, you might still feel overwhelmed and depressed. How can we reclaim the sense of playfulness we felt as young people in the midst of the difficulties of adult life? Dr. DeBenedet's answer is not to suggest more “play” but rather more “playfulness.”

“Playfulness” is an orientation, not a series of actions. It is a way of approaching the world no matter what activity you are engaged in. Dr. DeBenedet does a very nice job balancing science with personal anecdote, and offering a very practical and actionable steps to improve “playful intelligence.” This is a self-help book with a scientific undergirding.

Anthony T. DeBenedet, M.D. is a practicing physician and behavioral-science enthusiast. DeBenedet has a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering, a Master of Science in Health and Healthcare Research from the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School, and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. His interviews and writings have run in various media outlets, including the New York Times, the Today show, the Washington Post, and TIME Ideas.