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The Puzzler
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
7 posts | 5 read | 1 reading | 4 to read
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. What makes puzzles--jigsaw, mazes, riddles, sudoku--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 taught him to think and made him a better person, A.J. Jacobs--the 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. Not quite. But, in The Puzzler, he meets the most zealous devotees, enters (sometimes with his kids in tow) any puzzle competition that will have him, and unpacks the history and relevance of a huge variety of head-scratchers: from the all-time bestselling puzzle, the Rubik's Cube, to the hardest escape room in the world. Like any good puzzle, The Puzzler is an enveloping experience, chock-full of unforgettable adventures and original, completable examples from around the world--including new work by Greg Pliska, one of America's top puzzle-makers. Interspersed throughout are concrete lessons on how puzzles can improve readers' mental dexterity and crisis management abilities. Like a real-life, less intimidating Willy Wonka, Jacobs has even hidden a secret, super-challenging but solvable puzzle within his book, and he will award a $10,000 prize to the first reader to solve it. Whether you're one of the .0001% of Notpron champions or an occasional Monday crossworder, The Puzzler will open your eyes to the power of flexible thinking and concentration. You'll walk away with real problem-solving strategies and pathways towards becoming a better thinker and decision maker--for these are certainly puzzling times.
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lisakoby
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We‘ll I‘m excited to start this but apparently my dog isn‘t as enthused 😂

dabbe Looks like da sleepy pup stole your chair! 🖤🐾🖤 8mo
16 likes1 comment
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Magpiegem
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A different kind of swimming today. At our local Lido (the only grade 1 listed pool in the UK). Hubby is in the pool with toddler. Kids are warming up with a bag of crisps. I‘ve got my wine sippy cup and kindle- this heaven will only last 5 seconds.

Tamra 🤣 Truth! Enjoy those precious minutes! (edited) 9mo
33 likes1 comment
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Gleefulreader
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Pickpick

I am one of those creatures who enjoys puzzles - perhaps not as much as A. J. Jacobs - but I definitely get a lot of satisfaction out of a good logic puzzle. I love his gentle, and easy to read, exploration of the varieties of puzzles and games out there and how he indulges his own nerdiness. This is definitely not a deep dive, but rather a fun exploration of the many types of puzzle activities out there and the people who enjoy them.

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psalva
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Pickpick

This was a fun, engaging read. It‘s easy to write about puzzles and make them sound boring. Jacobs, with his light tone, does a good job of capturing what makes puzzles thrilling. A breezy read, with some not always so breezy puzzles included.
#catsoflitsy

CBee Lovely kitty 🐱 14mo
psalva Thank you! That‘s Jack, my youngest :) 14mo
16 likes2 comments
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psalva
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#weirdwords spotted in the tagged book. This was in the section about anagrams. I had never heard of this word but I love its specificity. It hints at conflict and drama in the world of literary scholarship. Imagine the fights that occurred which made this word necessary!

Chorizont: A person who believes the The Odyssey and The Iliad were written by two different people. More generally, someone who challenges the authorship of a work.
@CBee

CBee Whoa!! This is super cool and I definitely knew nothing about it! 14mo
IndoorDame Love!!! 14mo
Megabooks Awesome! 14mo
15 likes3 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

The Puzzler sees Jacobs tackling various puzzles, from jigsaws to cryptics to sudoku. He talks a bit about their history and tries to find the most challenging of each type. I love puzzles, but am not a fanatic, and found this incredibly engaging and entertaining. Plus, I found a new puzzle to delve into! (Star Battle, if you‘re curious.)

vivastory This sounds interesting. I only read one Jacobs book but I really enjoyed it. I recently played wordle daily for a few weeks and stopped after the day that I lucked out by guessing it in 2.: I figured I'd go out on a high note. 🤣 2y
54 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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CRR
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Pickpick

I have read all of Jacobs books and enjoyed them all. I think his first (The Know-it-All) is my personal favorite. This book took his love for puzzles and not only explained them but engaged them too. Reading it lead me to doing a couple of crosswords and sudokus. And overall I am enjoying puzzles more after reading this book. It is a good fun read. I enjoy Jacobs personality and find him easily likable.

CogsOfEncouragement I enjoyed Thanks a Thousand: A Gratitude Journey. I heard him talk about this puzzler book on a podcast and plan to read it at some point. I enjoy word puzzles myself. 2y
36 likes1 comment