Peter Gray

A research professor of psychology at Boston College, he is known for writing the widely used introductory textbook Psychology and for making complex ideas about human behavior feel clear and approachable.

Much of his later work has focused on children's play, self-directed education, and the ways curiosity supports learning. On his website and in public writing, he describes a long-running interest in how young people learn naturally, especially outside highly controlled school settings.

His book Free to Learn helped introduce many readers to those ideas, blending psychology, evolution, and education in a style aimed at general audiences as well as students.