Foldit addresses a complex problem space within biochemistry by utilizing human creativity and spatial problem solving while incentivizing participation through gameplay, competition, and collaboration. As science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)/science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) education continues to be foregrounded in the modern educational discourse, new tools and theories emerge for conveying advanced ideas to students in new and compelling ways. The theoretical framework presented in this book manifested from the success of Foldit. Implications and potential applications of the technology are addressed.

Given the difficulty of finding native states of folded proteins using computational modeling alone, new and more efficient methods are being pursued. The research here employed gamification and collaboration from human players by presenting the problem as a puzzle. Player solutions were then verified for accuracy once a solution was found. Using this process, Foldit players, collaborating and working alone, outperformed even state-of-the-art modeling tools. Later, this process was adapted to use principles of protein folding to produce novel structures that may not even exist in nature.

While the game is designed to be accessible to the layman, this book is certainly not. The author explains in detail the highly technical biochemistry involved with protein folding, thereby limiting the potential scope of the audience. Underscoring its interdisciplinary nature, the author elaborates on the algorithmic processes that underlie gameplay. Understanding of graduate-level biochemistry would be useful to appreciate the magnitude of these findings, as well as the thorough discussion of their tools and methods.

Questions remain about the portability of this process to other problem spaces. The book does not adequately address the process by which the framework could be brought to other fields. Utilizing human spatial and creative skills in this manner may not be applicable to other computationally complex problems. What other dimensions of human cognition can be utilized in this manner?

Furthermore, the book does not clarify the educational utility of this game. If it were used to teach, what contexts and populations would it be used for? Gamification of educational material has not been an altogether successful effort. It would be useful if the author had more deliberately contextualized Foldit in the complex history of gamification and how this represents a significant evolution beyond what is available. Readers may want to peruse other works [1,2]. Despite these ambiguities, this book successfully conveys a framework for scientific discovery using novel game-based tools as seen through the successful work with Foldit.