Are We Having Fun Yet?: The Human Quest for a Good Time

by Maria Birmingham, Katy Dockrill (Illustrator)

Humans have searched out fun for centuries.

Chariot races. Dueling crickets. Roller coasters. Rubik's Cubes. It seems we've always had a knack for finding interesting ways to have a good time. Of course, it wasn’t always that way. Our earliest ancestors had to worry more about survival than finding something to do in their free time. But as we evolved and daily living got a little easier, we began to think a bit more about entertainment.

In Are We Having Fun Yet?, readers follow the evolution of fun. It started simply, with storytelling by a fire. Soon it grew into activities like banquets, spectator sports, theater and fairs, to name just a few. Today huge theme parks attract thrill-seekers and people step into virtual worlds for fun. And that’s just scratching the surface. With things like virtual reality, fidget spinners and global phenomena like Pokémon Go, who knows what the future of fun will hold!

Genres: Nonfiction

80 pages, Hardcover

Published March 14, 2023

Reviews

[Wunderdrugged · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title is nominated for the 2025 Hackmatack Award in the English non-fiction category. The title pretty much tells you exactly what the book is about. When humans find their most basic needs (food & shelter) met, they then seek to entertain and amuse themselves. This book gives us a pretty broad overview of how they did this historically, right up to present times. There are five categories (music, art, sports, celebrations, and free time at home). Although the book is by no means exhaustive, it certainly provides a broad overview across time and place of a variety of human pastimes. I liked the way they did the timelines within each section. Not my favourite design wise, but not objectionable in any way. I liked that they included a glossary and an index.
I enjoyed it, would recommend to kids who don't especially like reading fiction but do enjoy learning trivia.

[Sandy Wilmering · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book describes many ways people have fun, and includes many sidebars of historical facts. Author admits at the end of book that many other aspects of having fun were not included. Overall, this was an interesting book.

[OjoAusana · Rating 4 out of 5]

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a really interesting book to read! Ngl i found this book super FUN to read! Would buy and would recommend.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at humans desire to be entertained