Primarily geared to introductory college level courses, this book deals with the history, foundations, community development, and implications of recreation and leisure in American society. It is an attempt to present this information with a new humanistic perspective reflecting a concern for the dignity and worth of man and the development of human potentials. This humanistic approach is oriented toward exploring possibilities and alternatives to improve a constantly evolving society and to facilitate human development. Divided into ten chapters, this book includes an introduction to basic concepts of time, work, play, recreation, and leisure; the historical development of recreation and leisure; the evolution of leisure service as an institution and its impact on American culture; community recreation as a dynamic, developmental process; sociopsychological considerations and implications of leisure; various subcultural leisure lifestyles; contemporary issues and value conflicts affecting leisure service; leisure education; the relationship of work and leisure; and future considerations of leisure. The epilogue contains a paper on the future of leisure, "Redefining Leisure: An Action Plan for the Recreation and Park Movement." (MM)