Stebbins sees "serious leisure" realized by way of a set of foundational concepts—organization, community, history, lifestyle, and culture. He reviews the history and background of the concept of serious leisure and follows up with historical commentary. Finally, he examines the future and the importance of the serious leisure perspective in a globalizing world, and some of its critical links with other fields of knowledge and practice, notably the nonprofit sector and preventive medicine. is a coherent and comprehensive resource setting out the main parameters of what is now widely recognized as an interdisciplinary research area. It will be of interest to sociologists, labor studies specialists, and economists.