In this edited volume, Jackson and Burton have attempted no less than an assessment of what is known about recreation and leisure at the beginning of the twenty-first century. In doing this, they have drawn on the talents of top scholars in various areas of study, and done so from a carefully conceived vision of what was needed. Jackson and Burton have also done the reader the great favor of being both aggressive and meticulous editors, a rarity among such edited volumes. This book is the only comprehensive statement of what is known about recreation and leisure as the twenty-first century begins, with its heightened potential to create a world in which such knowledge is critical to well-being.Leisure Studies: Prospects for the Twenty-First Century provides both a retrospective examination of what has been achieved in leisure studies in the twentieth century (the last few decades in particular) and a look into the future. This book offers new perspectives on preexisting and emerging themes, and is a significant contribution to the literature.