This book is a useful tool for recreation educators in carrying out their responsibilities for preparing the next generation for effective service in recreation and parks. The need for this book is apparent, because few recreation curricula include courses in problem solving. It is true that many texts dealing with recreation describe policies and procedures that have proved successful and effective, but they do not deal with obstacles that have been met or the manner in which they have been overcome. Clarification and discussion of these matters seem the appropriate responsibility of the professor and the instructor, both in colleges and universities and in the service training programs. In this forth edition, the authors have made a unique contribution to park and recreation administrative theory and practice. Its content provides many insights and will provoke reactions and discussion. Most important, it presents a practical approach to meeting the functional needs of students, teachers, and park and recreation practitioners. It is hoped that this edition will prove more useful and relevant for students both in the classroom and in the field. This book should be useful not only for teaching students in leisure studies how to handle hypothetical problems systematically, but also as an update and refresher for practitioners and board members who are involved with actual problems in agencies and organizations. Thus, the concepts and ideas presented in this book should increase one?s problem-solving ability and offer a systematic multi-idea approach to problem solving. In this fourth edition, greater attention is given to organizational culture and problem-solving approaches and techniques than in previous editions. Additionally, the problem-solving model has been expanded. Not only have all chapters been substantially revised, the majority of the case studies are new and reorganized into five themes: Human Relations, Marketing and Publicity, Planning and Policy, L and Risk Management, and Financial Management. These case studies represent a wide array of more current problems, since the issues facing leisure, recreation, and park professionals change as rapidly as the times. All cases are drawn from actual situations collected from students and practitioners in the field, as well as news stories that have appeared in newspapers and on the world wide web. The case studies are related to leisure, recreation, and park services, however, it is important to note that they can easily be modified for use by other human service organizations. Finally, each of the five themes concludes with a list of helpful websites for further inquiry. The chapters include the following: (1) Problem Solving: A Professional Need; (2) The Use of the Case Study Method in Problem Solving; (3) The Problem Solving Process; (4) Organizational Culture and Climate: Setting the Stage for Problem Solving; (5) Problem Solving in a Context of Change; (6) Facilitating Creative Thinking; (7) Problem Solving Approaches and Techniques; (8) Conflict Resolution and Mediation Techniques; and (9) Case Studies. An index concludes the book.