The puzzler : one man's quest to solve the most baffling puzzles ever, from crosswords to jigsaws to the meaning of life / A.J. Jacobs ; with puzzles by Greg Pliska.
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York : Crown, [2022]Copyright date: ©2022Edition: First editionDescription: xvi, 342 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 25 cmContent type: - text
- still image
- unmediated
- volume
- 9780593136713
- 0593136713
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
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Dr. James Carlson Library | NonFiction | 793.73 J17 | Available | 33111010653042 | ||||
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Adult Book
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Main Library | NonFiction | 793.73 J17 | Added to Claims Returned Report 11/2023 | Available | 33111010823389 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
The New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically goes on a rollicking journey to understand the enduring power of puzzles- why we love them, what they do to our brains, and how they can improve our world.
"Even though I've never attempted the New York Times crossword puzzle or solved the Rubik's Cube, I couldn't put down The Puzzler ."-Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before
Don't miss A.J. Jacobs' new podcast, The Puzzler, coming this fall!
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- 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.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 289-299).
Introduction -- Crosswords -- The puzzles of puzzles -- The Rubik's cube -- Anagrams -- Rebuses -- Jigsaws -- Mazes -- Math and logic puzzles -- Ciphers and secret codes -- Visual puzzles -- Sudoku and KenKen -- Chess puzzles -- Riddles -- Japanese puzzle boxes -- Controversial puzzles -- Cryptics -- Scavenger hunts -- Infinite puzzles -- Greg Plasik's original puzzles -- Solutions.
"The New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically goes on a journey to understand the enduring power of puzzles: why we love them, what they do to our brains, and how they can improve our world"-- Provided by publisher.