Development of intelligence and the imagination and provision of opportunities for purposeful investment of human talent through a liberal arts education may be the key to dealing with young people's boredom, which is an internal problem rather than an environmental one. (Author/MJL)

Combining a scientific and a humanistic approach in a series of essays that draw on both clinical and literary data, this book examines how imaginative play begins and how it develops. From the infant's first smiles and peekaboo games to the toddler's exploration of objects and participation in symbolic and social pretend play, the book traces the…