A great survey into the philosophy and science behind Simulation Game Design. Does an excellent job tying Cognitive, Psychological,Socialogical and Kinistetic together to illustrate why gaming works so well. For someone just entering the field or philosphy this is a great introductory text book on Engaging Learning.
Reading this book for the class I'm currently in. The author seems to have a bit of an ego...conversational style is nice but he talks about people like you will remember who they are (he references them in his backstory of an introduction). Concepts covered are solid and is a great start for anyone looking to enter the world of instructional design, and a good reference as well.