CONTENTS

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. CONTENTS vii
3. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix
4. INTRODUCTION: THE CHANGING MEANING OF PLAY 1
5. PART I. THE SYNTHETIC WORLD: A TOUR
6. 1. Daily Life on a Synthetic Earth 29
7. 2. The User 51
8. 3. The Mechanics of World-Making 79
9. 4. Emergent Culture: Institutions within Synthetic Reality 100
10. 5. The Business of World-Making 126
11. PART II. WHEN BOUNDARIES FADE
12. 6. The Almost-Magic Circle 147
13. 7. Free Commerce 161
14. 8. The Economics of Fun: Behavior and Design 170
15. 9. Governance 205
16. 10. Topographies of Terror 227
17. 11. Toxic Immersion and Internal Security 236
18. PART III. THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES
19. 12. Implications and Policies 249
20. 13. Into the Age of Wonder 267
21. Appendix: A Digression on Virtual Reality 285
22. Notes 295
23. References 311
24. Index 319