Anthony T. DeBenedet, MD, has published his second book, Playful Intelligence: The Power of Living Lightly in a Serious World. He says that he decided to write the book to show readers how playfulness helps us counterbalance the seriousness of adulthood.

“Five years ago, my life was becoming more intense and stressful,” DeBenedet says. “My relationships, clinical work as a physician, and basic interactions with the world were blurring into a frazzled mosaic. Going through the motions became my norm, and every day brought busyness and exhaustion. I thought about whether I was depressed. I didn’t think I was. Anxious? Sure, but aren’t we all anxious on some level? I also thought about the lifestyle factors that could be making me feel this way. Was I getting enough sleep? Was I exercising regularly? Was I eating healthy? Was I playing and remembering to be playful?”

DeBenedet is a practicing physician with Huron Gastro and a behavioral-science enthusiast. His interviews and writings have run in various media outlets, including The New York Times, the Today show, The Washington Post, and TIME Ideas. He previously also co-authored The Art of Roughhousing: Good Old-Fashioned Horseplay and Why Every Kid Needs It, a parenting book about the importance of parent–child physical play. DeBenedet lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he enjoys spending time with his family, connecting with friends, and playing a little basketball.