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The 3rd edition of The Meaning of Everyday Occupation is now complete and being released by SLACK, Inc.. For this 3rd edition, Virginia Dickie, retired faculty member from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, agreed to be co-author. Virginia is a highly valued scholar in the profession of occupational therapy. Our work together on the book has been an enriching journey for both of us. What had previously been “my” book is now fully our book.

The Meaning of Everyday Occupation is designed to immerse the reader deep into the world of people as occupational beings. The everyday occupation of our lives is often seen, but not noticed. Our intent with this book is to increase the visibility of everyday occupation and to offer readers opportunities for personal reflection about their day-to-day occupational patterns, how these are positioned in their own lives and in the lives of clients, and how they contribute to the meaning and quality of life at both individual and societal levels.

The emphasis in the book is on everyday occupation as experience. The reader is encouraged to think about how occupation is experienced in day-to-day life, to recognize and understand the complexity of meanings found in the rhythms of daily life, and to pay attention to and value the personal and social significance of everyday occupation in the lives of all people.

The chapters in the book focus on daily occupation as a source of social connection; as imbedded in culture, space and place; as a force for well-being and development throughout life; and as a source for creativity and the human spirit. The concepts and theories of occupation, ongoing areas of research in the field, and the practice of occupational therapy come alive for the reader through the authors’ personal reflections, occupational therapists’ stories from practice, and narrative data from current and past research on occupation.

The 3rd edition of The Meaning of Everyday Occupation is available directly from the publisher, SLACK, Inc., at slackbooks.com/the-meaning-of-everyday-occupation-third-edition/, or 856-848-1000, or 6900 Grove Road, Thorofare, NJ 08086.

Whew!