What Video Games Have to Teach Us

The issue of video games and their harmful/helpful effects on children and young adults is a hot topic. The Hardback sold very well. The book does not shy away from controversy, even finding good news in shooter games vis a vis adolescent cognitive development. "The Observer" newspaper recently called Gee 'One of the worlds leading educational experts'.This title provides a controversial look at the positive things that can be learned from video games by a well known professor of education. James Paul Gee begins his new book with 'I want to talk about video games- yes, even violent video games - and say some positive things about them'. With this simple but explosive beginning, one of America's most well-respected professors of education looks seriously at the good that can come from playing video games. Gee is interested in the cognitive development that can occur when someone is trying to escape a maze, find a hidden treasure and, even, blasting away an enemy with a high-powered rifle. Talking about his own video-gaming experience learning and using games as diverse as Lara Croft and Arcanum, Gee looks at major specific cognitive activities such as: how individuals develop a sense of identity; how one grasps meaning; how one evaluates and follows a command; how one picks a role model; and, how one perceives the world.This is a ground-breaking book that takes up a new electronic method of education and shows the positive upside it has for learning.