The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life
by A.J. Jacobs
From the publisher's website:
What makes puzzles—jigsaws, mazes, riddles, sudokus—so satisfying? Be it
the formation of new cerebral pathways, their close link to insight and
humor, or their community-building properties, they’re among the
fundamental elements that make us human. Convinced that puzzles have
made him a better person, A.J. Jacobs—four-time New York Times
bestselling author, master of immersion journalism, and nightly
crossworder—set out to determine their myriad benefits. And maybe, in
the process, solve the puzzle of our very existence. Well, almost.
In The Puzzler,
Jacobs meets the most zealous devotees, enters (sometimes with his
family in tow) any puzzle competition that will have him, unpacks the
history of the most popular puzzles, and aims to solve the most
impossible head-scratchers, from a mutant Rubik’s Cube, to the hardest
corn maze in America, to the most sadistic jigsaw. Chock-full of
unforgettable adventures and original examples from around the
world—including new work by Greg Pliska, one of America’s top
puzzle-makers, and a hidden, super-challenging but solvable puzzle that
will earn the first reader to crack it a $10,000 prize*—The Puzzler
will open readers’ eyes to the power of flexible thinking and
concentration. Whether you’re puzzle obsessed or puzzle hesitant, you’ll
walk away with real problem-solving strategies and pathways toward
becoming a better thinker and decision maker—for these are certainly
puzzling times.
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