Peter is a research professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College. His work spans behavioral biology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and education, with a particular focus on the role of play in human evolution and child development. Peter is widely recognized for his scholarship on self-directed play and learning. He is the author of Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life, published in 18 languages, and the author of the internationally acclaimed introductory textbook Psychology (Worth Publishers), which approaches the field from an evolutionary perspective. More recent editions of the textbook (7 and 8) were co-authored with David Bjorklund. In addition to his academic work, Peter has written extensively for public audiences and is known for bridging rigorous research with accessible, real-world insight. His contributions have helped shape contemporary conversations about education, childhood, autonomy, and well-being through the lens of play. Peter integrates play into both his scholarship and daily life. He enjoys outdoor pursuits such as gardening, bicycling, kayaking, swimming, skiing, and chopping wood, and approaches creative and intellectual work — including writing and problem-solving — with a playful, exploratory mindset. He views play as essential, self-chosen, imaginative, and intrinsically motivated, and believes that treating work as a form of play leads to deeper engagement and better outcomes. More information about Peter’s research, writing, and public work can be found at his website.