Play Anything
Ian Bogost
Basic Books
<p><b>How filling life with play&#8212;whether soccer or lawn mowing, counting sheep or tossing Angry Birds&#8212;forges a new path for creativity and joy in our impatient age</b><br>Life is no game. It's demanding, boring, and rarely fun. But what if we've got games wrong? Playing anything&#8212;whether an instrument, a sport, or a video game&#8212;takes hard work and makes absurd demands. Where's the fun in that?<br>In <i>Play Anything</i>, acclaimed philosopher and award-winning game designer Ian Bogost reveals that play isn't a mindless escape from boring reality. Instead, play is what happens when we accept limitations, narrow our focus, and&#8212;consequently&#8212;have fun. Which is also how to live a good life. Manipulating cards to make a poker hand is no different than treating chores and obligations as tools but which we can discover new happiness.<br>Ranging from Internet culture to moral philosophy, from ancient poetics to modern consumerism, <i>Play Anything</i>...