Prologue what have we done to childhood? the play-filled lives of hunter-gatherer children why schools are what they are : a brief history of education seven sins of our system of forced education lessons from sudbury valley : mother nature can prevail in modern times the human educative instincts the playful state of mind the role of play in social and emotional development free age mixing : a key ingredient for children's capacity for self-education trustful parenting in our modern world acknowledgments notes bibliography index