According to Roger Caillois play is an occasion of pure waste waste of time energy ingenuity skill & often of money In spite of this
- or because of it
- play constitutes an essential element of human social & spiritual development In this classic study Caillois defines play as a free & voluntary activity that occurs in a pure space isolated & protected from the rest of life Play is uncertain since the outcome may not be foreseen & it is governed by rules that provide a level playing field for all participants In its most basic form play consists of finding a response to the opponent's action
- or to the play situation
- that is free within the limits set by the rules Caillois qualifies types of games
- according to whether competition chance simulation or vertigo (being physically out of control) is dominant
- & ways of playing ranging from the unrestricted improvisation characteristic of children's play to the disciplined pursuit of solutions to gratuitously difficult puzzles Caillois also examines the means by which games become part of daily life & ultimately contribute to various cultures their most characteristic customs & institutions Presented here in Meyer Barash's superb English translation Man Play & Games is a companion volume to Caillois's Man & the Sacred