The Puzzler
Ratings15
Average rating4
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.
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.
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A fun romp through the world of puzzles. The writer, my ex-step-brother-in-law, gives too short shrift to mathematical puzzles and too much to his family and personal experiences.
A. J. Jacobs looks at puzzles of all sorts in his latest Challenge Yourself book. After aiming for bodily perfection (Drop Dead Healthy), attempting to follow the Bible as literally as possible (The Year of Living Biblically), trying to become to smartest person in the world (The Know-It-All), and pursuing a goal of improving himself (My Life as an Experiment), Jacobs focuses on trying to solve the most baffling puzzles ever. He forms a team (with his family!) and represents America in the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship. He tries to do a Rubik's Cube that's so difficult no one has solved it. He goes to the National Puzzler's League convention and tries to do anagrams with the big boys. He is embarrassingly slow at making his way through a huge maze in rural Vermont. Crossword puzzles. Sudoku. Chess. And more. Jacobs tries them all.
Super fun.
I read this book on audio and will definitely need to go back and read on a physical format. Puzzle examples don’t lend well to audio, however the author did a great job keeping the audio engaging.
I enjoyed the perspective that Jacobs shared. It was highly thought provoking, offering different perspectives of solving puzzles. I tend to gravitate towards puzzles and love working on them so the content matter was engaging for me. It was interesting to hear about puzzles not being just logic based but also requiring creativity and ingenuity!
