A leading expert in childhood development makes the case for why self-directed learning -- unschooling -- is the best way to get kids to learn.

All kids love learning. Most don't love school. That's a disconnect we've avoided discussing--until this lightning bolt of a book. If you've ever wondered why your curious kid is turning into a sullen slug at school, Peter Gray's Free to Learn has the answer. He also has the antidote. --Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids

In Free to Learn, developmental psychologist Peter Gray argues that in order to foster children who will thrive in today's constantly changing world, we must entrust them to steer their own learning and development. Drawing on evidence from anthropology, psychology, and history, he demonstrates that free play is the primary means by which children learn to control their lives, solve problems, get along with peers, and become emotionally resilient. A brave, counterintuitive proposal for freeing our children from the shackles of the curiosity-killing institution we call school, Free to Learn suggests that it's time to stop asking what's wrong with our children, and start asking what's wrong with the system. It shows how we can act--both as parents and as members of society--to improve children's lives and to promote their happiness and learning.

Children who grow up in a literate and numerate environment do not need to be taught how to read or how to use numbers to calculate. They pick these skills up in the course of their everyday living. In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray presents the evidence that this is so. He also presents evidence that teaching-especially when it is forced and comes too early-can interfere with children's learning to read and calculate. In addition, in one essay he describes the difference between Self-Directed Education and progressive education, and in another he presents evidence refuting the claim that children lose academic skills during summer vacation from school (the so-called summer slide). This book is especially valuable for parents who are thinking of opting out of standard schooling for their children but are concerned about their children's acquisition of academic skills. It is also valuable for educators who are interested in stretching their understanding of how children naturally learn the kinds of skills that schools try to teach.

Children come into the world biologically designed to educate themselves. Their natural curiosity, playfulness, sociability, willfulness, adventurousness, tendency to look ahead, and desire to do well in the world were all shaped, by natural selection, to serve the function of education. In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray describes, with research evidence, how these natural tendencies play themselves out in children who are not schooled but, instead, are allowed ample time and opportunity to exercise their natural educative drives. He explains, especially, how children learn from one another when allowed to play freely in settings where they are not segregated by age. In addition, he presents evidence that children come into the world with prosocial drives-to help, share, and comfort-that grow ever stronger when adults allow them to grow. He also discusses ADHD as a natural and valuable personality variation, not a disorder, which causes problems in the typical school environment but does not interfere with Self-Directed Education.

Indulge your love of birds with this beautiful collection of images for coloring. Full-page coloring guides are shown opposite John James Audubon's original illustrations from his masterwork Birds of America. Favorites such as the blue jay and the golden eagle appear along with colorful flycatchers, warblers, and water birds. The birds' varied forms and vibrant plumage make them ideal subjects for coloring, and in these pages you can hone your skills and celebrate the beauty of these wonderful creatures.

Filled with easy-to-follow, step-by-step projects, this introduction to drawing will teach young artists how to draw anything and everything, from astronauts to zebras, knights to racing cars, and fairies to dinosaurs Perfect for budding artists aged 8 and up, especially tweens, How To Draw Everything's wide range of objects, people, nature, and more make it an essential part of the resources any young artist will need.

Step into a blooming flower garden with this delightful hardback coloring book, with illustrations based on the artwork of Pierre-Joseph Redoté and other classic botanical illustrators.

Budding artists can indulge their passion for flowers and improve their artistic skills with this exquisite coloring book. From the striking poppy to the delicate bluebell, it includes over 70 full-color flower illustrations by the very best botanical artists and lithographers such as Pierre-Joseph Redoté and Alphonse Goossens. These are presented for reference beside black and white outlines to color yourself and reproduce your own masterpieces. A glossary of flowers is also included so you can identify each species and find your favorites.

- Includes over 70 designs
- Printed on thick, high-quality paper
- Original full-color illustrations included for easy reference
- This hardback edition with patterned endpapers makes a wonderful gift.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Hardback Vintage Coloring series will transport you to a world of vintage charm and nostalgia. These delightful coloring books feature original, full-color illustrations by classic artists and designers along with black and white line versions for you to color in.

Theory is one thing; empirical evidence is another. Is it true that children can educate themselves well, without coercion or coaxing, when provided with a supportive environment and plenty of opportunity to play, explore, observe, and socialize? In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray presents evidence from a variety of sources that this indeed is true. One essay points out the amazing amount that little children learn before anyone attempts to teach them in any formal way. Another presents evidence from anthropological research that children in hunter-gatherer cultures educated themselves well, for life in their culture, with no formal instruction. This is followed by an essay summarizing the results of research showing that graduates of the Sudbury Valley School-a school designed for Self-Directed Education-have succeeded very well in higher education, jobs, and life in general. The final seven essays all deal with the results of research, conducted by Peter Gray and Gina Riley, into unschooling families and the lives of adults who grew up unschooled. Unschooling here is defined as the variety of homeschooling in which children are not subjected to an imposed curriculum but are allowed to follow their own interests and thereby educate themselves.

Choose from a selection of more than 40 beautifully detailed designs in this nature-inspired coloring book that includes a selection of flowers, butterflies, birds and fish.

Each of these artworks was originally drawn by some of the greatest botanical and nature artists of the 18th and 19th centuries, including John James Audubon, author and illustrator of the magnificent Birds of America, and Pierre-Joseph Redouté who was once the official botanical artist to Empress Joséphine of France. These original full-color images are set alongside their equivalent black and white designs to provide inspiration.

Relax and appreciate the spectacular colors of nature with this wonderful coloring book.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Sirius Classic Nature Coloring series includes illustrations by some of history's most acclaimed naturalists, including Audubon, Pierre-Joseph Redoute and William Lizars. These original full-color illustrations are presented beside the black and white designs for inspiration.

This botanical coloring book features an exquisite selection of flower illustrations, taken from the classic botanical publication Choice of the Most Beautiful Flowers (1827).

From yellow dahlias to blooming tulips, this collection features 45 flowers to color and shade. The original illustrations were created Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840), a French painter known as 'The Raphael of Flowers'. Each design appears beside the original full-color illustration for reference.

Featuring a key for species identification, this is the perfect gift for flower-lovers and budding artists alike.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Sirius Classic Nature Coloring series includes illustrations by some of history's most acclaimed naturalists, including Audubon, Pierre-Joseph Redoute and William Lizars. These original full-color illustrations are presented beside the black and white designs for inspiration.

This gorgeously photographed book offers a window into the finest courses in the UK and Ireland, with relatable tips and amusing commentary for the average golfer.

Most golfers only dream of playing at St. Andrews, Ballybunion, Turnberry, or Royal County Down. With incomparable history, unique traditions, and ferociously beautiful seaside landscapes, it's no wonder that the British Isles are home to some of the most celebrated golf courses in the world.

Peter Gray, a middle handicapper and weekend warrior, has nonetheless golfed his way around the UK and Ireland and has the misadventures to prove it: from a disaster on the legendary Road Hole at Old Course in St. Andrews, to braving gale force winds at Muirfield (characterized by locals as a spot of bother), and even being urged to drink an entire bottle of Jameson 18-year-old whiskey after a round at Lahinch to cure a fierce case of the shanks (it worked).

Part amusing travelogue, part scenic showcase, Golfing the British Isles: The Weekend Warrior's Companion brims with the same beauty, character, and sheer fun exemplified by the courses it depicts.

Featuring breathtaking photography from Gary Lisbon alongside insightful commentary and practical guidance, this distinctive book will have golf enthusiasts packing their clubs, booking tee times, and charting their own pilgrimage in celebration of this singular game.

This delightful coloring book includes spectacular bird illustrations based on the artwork of Audubon and other classic ornithology illustrators, presented in an attractive hardback gift edition with patterned endpapers.

Whether you are a bird-lover, an artist, or both, this delightful coloring book is sure to please. It features over 70 classic full-color ornithology illustrations from the likes of John James Audubon, John T Bowen and John Gerrard Keulemans to use as reference, placed beside black and white line drawings ready for the addition of color.

Included here are bright songbirds and majestic birds of prey, as well as favorites such as the jewel-like kingfisher and the flamboyant flamingo. Their delicate, vivid plumage makes birds ideal subject matter for developing color technique and rendering those illustrations is guaranteed to provide hours of pleasure. An index of birds is included, to help you identify each species and find your favorites.

- Includes 77 designs
- Printed on thick, high-quality paper
- Original full-color illustrations included for easy reference
- This hardback edition makes a wonderful gift.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Hardback Vintage Coloring series will transport you to a world of vintage charm and nostalgia. These delightful coloring books feature original, full-color illustrations by classic artists and designers along with black and white line versions for you to color in.

Children, like all human beings, crave freedom, but they are not free in school. Schools operate by methods of coercion (a request in school is really an order), enforced with reward, punishment, and threats. Coercion interferes with children's natural, joy-filled and interest-filled ways of learning and turns learning into work. In this collection of essays, developmental psychologist Peter Gray describes also how schooling promotes bullying, cheating, and showing off; contributes to high rates of anxiety, depression, and even suicide among students; aims to push everyone, regardless of the shape of their personality, through the same square holes; and leads to a lifetime of anxiety dreams. The last two essays show how the harm has moved down even to the youngest students, caused by the misbelief that academic training should start in kindergarten and before. This collection is for everyone who cares about children's wellbeing.

This wonderful full-color drawing book is a treasure trove for anyone who loves fairies. Abound in story books and animation, their delicate form, fluttering wings and magical powers are a source of constant wonder.

In this enchanting new book, renowned artist Peter Gray takes readers through step-by-step drawing projects, teaching different drawing techniques and styles. You'll learn:

- How to create fairy and elf faces, with their large eyes and small, pointed chins.
- Varying the proportions of your characters, from lithe and slender to rounded and chubby
- Creating beautiful clothing, taking inspiration from flowers and the natural world
- Drawing fairy wings, and the techniques to make them sparkle and flutter

Step into the spell-binding world of folk tales and magic with this accessible drawing guide.

Learn how to create enchanting fairy illustrations with this inspiring and practical workbook, with full-color, step-by-step-projects and practice pages.

Abound in story books and animation, these creature's delicate forms, fluttering wings and magical powers are a source of constant wonder. Artist Peter Gray takes readers through step-by-step drawing projects to create an array of enchanting fairies. Taking inspiration from flowers and the natural world, readers will learn how to create fairy and elf faces, beautiful clothing, and wings which sparkle and flutter.

Chapters include:
- Fairy faces: features, hair and headdresses
- Fairy figures: proportions, poses and fairies in flight
- Fairy fashions: styles, wings, color
- Fairy folk: Elfin fairy, child fairy, dark fairy
- Fairy flora and fauna: flowers, small features, forest scenes

Each project is accompanied by practice pages that allow readers to try out their skills.

ABOUT THE SERIES: I Can Draw teaches a variety of specialist drawing styles, aimed at beginners or those wishing to hone their skills. With step-by-step instructions and practice grids to try out new techniques, these full-color drawing guides will help artists bring their ideas to life.

If you have always wanted to excel at drawing, then The Complete Guide to Drawing & Illustration is for you. All you need is a pencil, a bit of blank paper and the expert guidance you will find within these pages. This book is designed to systematically teach you the essentials of drawing and lays the groundwork for you to develop your own personal drawing style.

- Hands-on course in drawing and illustration, suitable for beginners and improvers alike
- Practical, step-by-step, easy-to-follow exercises and demonstrations
- From simple object drawing, move on to tackle all aspects of our environment, people and animals
- Sketching and observation, materials and theory, tips and techniques - everything you need to know to create original artworks, cartoons and illustrations
- More than 1,000 illustrations

Behold the beauty of the natural world with this delightful coloring book, containing over 40 classic botanical artworks from some of history's greatest botanical artists.

From bold tiger lilys to delicate lilacs, this collection features exquisite 19th century flower illustrations from artists such as Pierre-Joseph Redoute, A. Goossens, P. De Pannemaeker and J. Goffart. These are taken from publications such as The Most Beautiful Flowers (Les Plus Belle Fleurs) and the botanical periodical Horticultural Illustration. Each original illustration is shown in full-color besides a black and white version to be brought to life with vivid color.

Features:
- Full-page prints of the original artwork
- Latin names of each flower for reference
- Thick, high-quality paper to prevent bleed-through
- A key of full-color, thumbnail images to preview the designs

With such an array of elegant illustrations from these 19th century masters to study, you cannot fail to be inspired by your own endeavors.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Sirius Classic Nature Coloring series includes archival illustrations by some of history's most acclaimed naturalists, including Audubon, Pierre-Joseph Redoute and William Lizars. These original full-color illustrations are presented beside the black and white designs for reference and inspiration.

This book has been considered by academicians and scholars of great significance and value to literature. This forms a part of the knowledge base for future generations. So that the book is never forgotten we have represented this book in a print format as the same form as it was originally first published. Hence any marks or annotations seen are left intentionally to preserve its true nature.

Enjoy the sublime beauty of traditional Japanese art with this selection of woodblock and Ukiyo-e prints to color yourself.

From blossoming cherry trees to vivid portraits of city life, this delightful coloring book includes over 40 prints from some of the most renowned Japanese Edo period (1603-1867). These include Under the Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai, A Red Plum Branch Against the Summer Moon by Utagawa Hiroshige and Crane on Branch of Pine Tree by Ohara Koson. Each black and white line drawing is accompanied by a full-page image of the original full-color artwork for reference.

Features:
- Thick, high-quality paper to prevent bleed-through
- A key of full-color, thumbnail images to preview the designs
- Full-page prints of original full-color artwork to display

Relax and unwind with these tranquil designs, whose vibrant colors make them perfect for a relaxing session of coloring.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The bestselling Sirius Creative Coloring series brings together delightful coloring books designed to relax the mind and inspire creativity. Printed on thick, high-quality paper, these bold and beautiful artworks present a wonderful coloring challenge.

When Ava Miller is offered a position as a part-time governess for the Riley household, she can hardly refuse such a kind offer, especially when it is made by a handsome gentleman that seems to have eyes only for her. Ignorant of the master of the house's true intentions, Ava is soon caught up in a web of lies, passion, and undeniable lust. Will she be able to stop herself from giving into temptation, or will it be too late?

Today, scientists in many fields are expressing considerable interest in non-linearity and the ideas of oscillations and chaos. Chemical reactions provide perfect examples of these phenomena. This book is an excellent introduction to the area of nonlinear phenomena in chemical kinetics that involve chemical feedback such as chain branching, autocatalysis, and self-heating. The emphasis is on physical and pictorial representation, and on identifying those gross features which are essential. The experimental conditions under which such behavior will occur can be predicted using simple mathematical recipes, and these are also included. Readers will find full discussions of long-lived oscillations for autocatalytic or exothermic reactions in closed vessels and stationary states, bistability, and oscillations in continuous flow reactors and diffusion cells. Other topics considered include chemical wave propagation, pattern selection and formation, heterogeneous reactions, complex oscillations, quasiperiodicity, and chemical chaos, both forced and spontaneous. The second part of the book describes actual experimental systems, such as the Belousov-Zhabotinskii reaction, and include discussion of the behavior of important gas-phase reactions. This volume is an ideal sourcebook of applied problems for graduate courses in dynamical systems, advanced chemical kinetics, and chemical reactor engineering, as well as for research workers in physical chemistry, and mathematicians, biologists, physicists, and physiologists.