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The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life
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 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.
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.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
555 people are currently reading
10762 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 605 reviews
June 18, 2022
A puzzle lovers dream. From crosswords to the Rubic Cube craze,this book covers anything and everything and to do with puzzles. From extremes, the difficult to many I'm sure some of us do everyday. The history behind these, the inventors and people who have taken puzzles to extremes. The author, freely admits he is a puzzle addict, goes all over, talking to many people and relates his findings with a great deal of humor. Puzzles are included for some but not really viable on a Kindle. Will be buying this one.
June 10, 2022
2/2 stars
I can highly recommend this to anyone that loves puzzles in any form and would strongly recommend you buy an actual hard copy of the book as this is best experienced as an interactive reading exercise.
You get little puzzles to solve, there are images and “where’s waldo” type puzzles, mazes, cryptic clues sudoku and more. My advice is to have a pencil at the ready before you crack this open.
I unfortunately listened to this, and it does not make for the most riveting audio book.
I also blindly bought this as I have loved and enjoyed the author’s other books. He has a way of dinging deep into a subject matter and his love for it is almost infectious – almost. Turns out I am not a big fan of puzzles other than the occasional sudoku.
I can highly recommend this to anyone that loves puzzles in any form and would strongly recommend you buy an actual hard copy of the book as this is best experienced as an interactive reading exercise.
You get little puzzles to solve, there are images and “where’s waldo” type puzzles, mazes, cryptic clues sudoku and more. My advice is to have a pencil at the ready before you crack this open.
I unfortunately listened to this, and it does not make for the most riveting audio book.
I also blindly bought this as I have loved and enjoyed the author’s other books. He has a way of dinging deep into a subject matter and his love for it is almost infectious – almost. Turns out I am not a big fan of puzzles other than the occasional sudoku.
August 20, 2022
I learned about this book after seeing reviews of it by my GR friends Diane S. and Cheryl. I thought it would be a fun book to read so I did something I generally don't do: I bought a brand new book!
Jacobs says he has loved puzzles since he was a kid and that he inherited the interest from his family. Me too. Dad worked all sorts of pencil puzzles: crosswords, Jumbles, cryptograms in the daily papers, and anything that came in the Dell puzzle magazines Mom bought for him. He kept working puzzles until the last few months of his life, and he was good at them all. To keep himself entertained while working through a puzzle book, he would vary his routine. Sometimes he would work the book from the front, other times from the back. Sometimes he would work the puzzles on the right side of the book and then go back for the left hand side. He would do only the across clues in a certain puzzle and then go back for the downs, or vice versa. He was really good at any of the word games in those puzzle books, and he inspired me to try them all myself at a young age.
I also did jigsaws, and I loved a couple of children's magazines we used to get that had great puzzle pages in them: hidden objects, mazes, spot the difference, a lot of the puzzles that Jacobs mentions in his book. And I still do puzzles. Not the New York Times (except for Wordle!), but I have subscriptions to a couple of Penny Press Variety Puzzle books with crossword, logic problems, Magic Anagram Squares, Sudoku, and all sorts of other fun ways to spend time when you can't sleep if you are tired of reading.
By the way, thanks to Jacobs I finally understand why my familiar Anagram Magic Square is called a Magic Square! The author mentions Magic Squares in his section on Sudoku puzzles. In the Magic Square each row and each column of numbers adds up to the same number. One example Jacobs shows the sum number as 34. In my Puzzle books, the Anagram Magic Square rows and columns add up to 65. But words are involved also. There are clues, with the five-letter answers anagrammed in the puzzle. Once you find your answer you write the number of the clue in the grid, with the correctly spelled answer word right below that. Then you transfer the first letter of the answer to a corresponding number in a blank quotation underneath the clues. When you are all done, you have a grid full of answer words, with numbers that add up to 65 in each row and column, and a clever quotation besides. I've been doing these puzzles for years and never knew the history of the phrase 'Magic Square'!
My Mother likes cryptograms the best. I will offer her this book to read in case she wants to read the section about ciphers and such. Maybe she will be able to crack the code on Kryptos, who knows?! Of course, it might be a while before she starts the book: she is in the final phase of completing a jigsaw puzzle right now and doesn't come up for air very often. I wouldn't either, the puzzle is called I Love Chocolate!
Jacobs covers chess problems too, and I love them, even though I am a little out of practice these days. The problem with reading about puzzles of any kind is that I want to stop every little bit and go solve one! When I read the section on chess, I remembered how I used to have a magnetic set and I hung it up on the wall, switched the men to small pieces of magnets with identifying letters on them, set up chess problems and then thought about them while walking my laps in the house. At that time I was rebuilding from a severe health crash and could only walk for five or ten minutes so I went up and down the hallway and would swing into this room to look at the board, maybe try a move, then do another lap or two. It was fun, and I eventually worked myself up to being able not only to solve many of the problems but to walk for an hour at a time. That's when I started walking through town again, and stepped away a bit from the chess problems.
This was an enjoyable book to read, and after Mother finishes with it I will see about trying to solve some of the many puzzles included. I know I will never be competition material (I would not want to be so stressed!) but it was still cool to read about such things and to connect in a small way with the world of other puzzle solvers.
One question Jacobs tries to answer is why people solve puzzles. I think with my health condition I am often at the mercy of forces way beyond my control, and the idea that I have control over a puzzle soothes me. I also like the aha moments Jacobs mentions, those moments when a clue finally makes sense or the numbers in the Magic Square all add up properly. Of course, puzzles are not always an ego trip. Sometimes just as you start thinking what a clever person you are, you turn the page and get completely stuck on some puzzle that brings that swollen head right back down to size. lol
Jacobs says he has loved puzzles since he was a kid and that he inherited the interest from his family. Me too. Dad worked all sorts of pencil puzzles: crosswords, Jumbles, cryptograms in the daily papers, and anything that came in the Dell puzzle magazines Mom bought for him. He kept working puzzles until the last few months of his life, and he was good at them all. To keep himself entertained while working through a puzzle book, he would vary his routine. Sometimes he would work the book from the front, other times from the back. Sometimes he would work the puzzles on the right side of the book and then go back for the left hand side. He would do only the across clues in a certain puzzle and then go back for the downs, or vice versa. He was really good at any of the word games in those puzzle books, and he inspired me to try them all myself at a young age.
I also did jigsaws, and I loved a couple of children's magazines we used to get that had great puzzle pages in them: hidden objects, mazes, spot the difference, a lot of the puzzles that Jacobs mentions in his book. And I still do puzzles. Not the New York Times (except for Wordle!), but I have subscriptions to a couple of Penny Press Variety Puzzle books with crossword, logic problems, Magic Anagram Squares, Sudoku, and all sorts of other fun ways to spend time when you can't sleep if you are tired of reading.
By the way, thanks to Jacobs I finally understand why my familiar Anagram Magic Square is called a Magic Square! The author mentions Magic Squares in his section on Sudoku puzzles. In the Magic Square each row and each column of numbers adds up to the same number. One example Jacobs shows the sum number as 34. In my Puzzle books, the Anagram Magic Square rows and columns add up to 65. But words are involved also. There are clues, with the five-letter answers anagrammed in the puzzle. Once you find your answer you write the number of the clue in the grid, with the correctly spelled answer word right below that. Then you transfer the first letter of the answer to a corresponding number in a blank quotation underneath the clues. When you are all done, you have a grid full of answer words, with numbers that add up to 65 in each row and column, and a clever quotation besides. I've been doing these puzzles for years and never knew the history of the phrase 'Magic Square'!
My Mother likes cryptograms the best. I will offer her this book to read in case she wants to read the section about ciphers and such. Maybe she will be able to crack the code on Kryptos, who knows?! Of course, it might be a while before she starts the book: she is in the final phase of completing a jigsaw puzzle right now and doesn't come up for air very often. I wouldn't either, the puzzle is called I Love Chocolate!
Jacobs covers chess problems too, and I love them, even though I am a little out of practice these days. The problem with reading about puzzles of any kind is that I want to stop every little bit and go solve one! When I read the section on chess, I remembered how I used to have a magnetic set and I hung it up on the wall, switched the men to small pieces of magnets with identifying letters on them, set up chess problems and then thought about them while walking my laps in the house. At that time I was rebuilding from a severe health crash and could only walk for five or ten minutes so I went up and down the hallway and would swing into this room to look at the board, maybe try a move, then do another lap or two. It was fun, and I eventually worked myself up to being able not only to solve many of the problems but to walk for an hour at a time. That's when I started walking through town again, and stepped away a bit from the chess problems.
This was an enjoyable book to read, and after Mother finishes with it I will see about trying to solve some of the many puzzles included. I know I will never be competition material (I would not want to be so stressed!) but it was still cool to read about such things and to connect in a small way with the world of other puzzle solvers.
One question Jacobs tries to answer is why people solve puzzles. I think with my health condition I am often at the mercy of forces way beyond my control, and the idea that I have control over a puzzle soothes me. I also like the aha moments Jacobs mentions, those moments when a clue finally makes sense or the numbers in the Magic Square all add up properly. Of course, puzzles are not always an ego trip. Sometimes just as you start thinking what a clever person you are, you turn the page and get completely stuck on some puzzle that brings that swollen head right back down to size. lol
May 11, 2022
This book is so creative! I really enjoy puzzles, especially riddles, so I knew I would enjoy this book! Thank you to A. J. Jacobs and Crown Publishing for my copy! This books talks about how puzzles can help to form new pathways in our brains and help build community. The author talks about how puzzles have benefited him and made him a better person.
In this book Jacobs joins puzzle competitions, tries to solve impossible puzzles, and goes on a journey to unpack the history of some of the most popular puzzles. He even offers a puzzle in the book for readers to solve worth $10,000. It's great that you can feel the author's passion while reading the book and it made me love puzzles even more. It's fun how Jacobs blends both history and fun examples in this book. 4-stars!
In this book Jacobs joins puzzle competitions, tries to solve impossible puzzles, and goes on a journey to unpack the history of some of the most popular puzzles. He even offers a puzzle in the book for readers to solve worth $10,000. It's great that you can feel the author's passion while reading the book and it made me love puzzles even more. It's fun how Jacobs blends both history and fun examples in this book. 4-stars!
April 7, 2022
This was my first Goodreads giveaway win, and I couldn't be more thankful to have had the opportunity to read this book prior to its official release. As a fan of all kinds of puzzles, I was immediately intrigued by the premise. I found myself chuckling constantly throughout the book and vigorously tapping the shoulder of my significant other to share new fun puzzle facts I was learning along the way.
I've been a fan of A.J. Jacobs since stumbling upon one of his first books in a Barnes and Noble in 2005, and this book continued to showcase his sense of humor and the fascinating experiments he incorporates into his life. My only critique is that the book is coming out too soon, and there isn't a chapter on the Wordle craze!
Very enjoyable read. Would recommend for any puzzle fan!
I've been a fan of A.J. Jacobs since stumbling upon one of his first books in a Barnes and Noble in 2005, and this book continued to showcase his sense of humor and the fascinating experiments he incorporates into his life. My only critique is that the book is coming out too soon, and there isn't a chapter on the Wordle craze!
Very enjoyable read. Would recommend for any puzzle fan!
February 6, 2022
A.J. Jacobs always comes up with fun creative books that spark curiosity. This one is no different. It did lack cohesiveness but it was interesting reading about all the different histories and creators of the worlds best puzzles. I read an ebook from Netgalley which is appreciated but not recommended. You need to buy the book in paper format so you can do the puzzles and mark up the pages.
May 25, 2022
This book was just okay. I think it really suffers from lack of focus. It tries to cover a broad range of puzzles (the selection process seems random?) and each individual section meanders more like a podcast than a book. The best parts were the descriptions of the "hardest" puzzles in each section. An okay read, but not the best A.J. Jacobs book or the best book on puzzles I've read.
October 20, 2022
Another winner from A.J. Jacobs. He takes a humorous look at the origins of some of the most popular forms of puzzles. Not only do you learn something new, there are puzzles sprinkled throughout the book for you to try and solve. Recommended.
May 7, 2022
Not my favorite A.J. Jacobs book. I wish he had really gone all in on 1 type of puzzles vs a general survey of many different types.
July 12, 2024
Note: This review only pertains to the audiobook.
This audiobook was read by the author, AJ Jacobs.
When he said to listen to this book at 2x, I should have believed him!
AJ did an excellent job of researching his book and reading the final audiobook. Instead of the audiobook,I wish I’d had the ebook so I could have quickly read the sections that weren’t as interesting to me, like his favorite childhood treasure hunt book, or, chess (not the musical, sadly), or riddles, etc.
This book is a pandemic-fueled encyclopedia of AJ’s own obsession with various puzzles and games. Even his children, and his spouse (who runs a games-adjacent company), seemed to have had enough games for a couple of lifetimes!
*Accessing the audio puzzles*
AJ does go above and beyond to make the book enjoyable for his audiobook “readers”; first, he reserves the end of each topical chapter with short puzzles he reads and explains aloud (these were mostly fun, until they got tedious. Also, he didn’t give enough time to stop your audio player before giving the answer. In early chapters he did a 3-2-1 countdown which helped. Later on, he gave up on that, which made it rough.
*Audio puzzle topics*
In the early chapters, he pulled new short clues from puzzles, some from specialty game designers. These were a lot of fun and raised the bar on what was expected throughout the book. Even my spouse who was not reading the book, wanted to try these puzzles!
Later on, puzzles devolved into old chestnuts. Some of these “bonuses” were riddles/problems we were all subjected to as children (what walks on 4 legs, then 2 legs, then 3 legs? There was a well-known puzzle from Jane Austen’s “Emma,” etc.
Then, we got to the math problems: “Two kids on bikes are 20 miles apart and can ride their bikes at 10MPH. If a fly can travel 15MPH, how many times can the fly travel back and forth to each child’s bicycle handlebars by the time the kids meet?”).
There were also repeated puzzle concepts from chapter to chapter, but it wasn’t mentioned that it was the same concept (ex you need to get a wolf, a goat, and a basket of cabbage to the other wide of the river without anything getting eaten).
*Accessing the paper/ebook puzzles*
Note that AJ went above and beyond by including a PDF online of the puzzles and illustrations in the physical book and ebook, so you won’t miss out on them.
The PDF still exists, and the url was given a couple of times at the start of the book so you had a chance to type it in and access the file.
*Best Section*
My favorite section was on Kronos, an art piece installed st the CIA headquarters in Washington,
D.C. that has 4 ciphered messages on it (one of which remains a mystery).
*Worst Section*
My least favorite chapters were at the end, with the physical ring puzzles you see at every gaming store (yech) that AJ wanted to make as a “family heirloom” wTH?
Also, the puzzle boxes weren’t described well enough and really need a video to show how special they are.
Finally—The book was just too long and meandering. I would have cut 3-4 chapters from it. (And why include chess—you puzzle it out, but it’s not a “puzzle” -
If we’re going down that road, then where’s card games, board games, RPGs, etc?).
Would this book have been published in this format and length had it not been the pandemic?
It was the best of times & it was the worst of times, reading this book (apologies to Dickens).
This audiobook was read by the author, AJ Jacobs.
When he said to listen to this book at 2x, I should have believed him!
AJ did an excellent job of researching his book and reading the final audiobook. Instead of the audiobook,I wish I’d had the ebook so I could have quickly read the sections that weren’t as interesting to me, like his favorite childhood treasure hunt book, or, chess (not the musical, sadly), or riddles, etc.
This book is a pandemic-fueled encyclopedia of AJ’s own obsession with various puzzles and games. Even his children, and his spouse (who runs a games-adjacent company), seemed to have had enough games for a couple of lifetimes!
*Accessing the audio puzzles*
AJ does go above and beyond to make the book enjoyable for his audiobook “readers”; first, he reserves the end of each topical chapter with short puzzles he reads and explains aloud (these were mostly fun, until they got tedious. Also, he didn’t give enough time to stop your audio player before giving the answer. In early chapters he did a 3-2-1 countdown which helped. Later on, he gave up on that, which made it rough.
*Audio puzzle topics*
In the early chapters, he pulled new short clues from puzzles, some from specialty game designers. These were a lot of fun and raised the bar on what was expected throughout the book. Even my spouse who was not reading the book, wanted to try these puzzles!
Later on, puzzles devolved into old chestnuts. Some of these “bonuses” were riddles/problems we were all subjected to as children (what walks on 4 legs, then 2 legs, then 3 legs? There was a well-known puzzle from Jane Austen’s “Emma,” etc.
Then, we got to the math problems: “Two kids on bikes are 20 miles apart and can ride their bikes at 10MPH. If a fly can travel 15MPH, how many times can the fly travel back and forth to each child’s bicycle handlebars by the time the kids meet?”).
There were also repeated puzzle concepts from chapter to chapter, but it wasn’t mentioned that it was the same concept (ex you need to get a wolf, a goat, and a basket of cabbage to the other wide of the river without anything getting eaten).
*Accessing the paper/ebook puzzles*
Note that AJ went above and beyond by including a PDF online of the puzzles and illustrations in the physical book and ebook, so you won’t miss out on them.
The PDF still exists, and the url was given a couple of times at the start of the book so you had a chance to type it in and access the file.
*Best Section*
My favorite section was on Kronos, an art piece installed st the CIA headquarters in Washington,
D.C. that has 4 ciphered messages on it (one of which remains a mystery).
*Worst Section*
My least favorite chapters were at the end, with the physical ring puzzles you see at every gaming store (yech) that AJ wanted to make as a “family heirloom” wTH?
Also, the puzzle boxes weren’t described well enough and really need a video to show how special they are.
Finally—The book was just too long and meandering. I would have cut 3-4 chapters from it. (And why include chess—you puzzle it out, but it’s not a “puzzle” -
If we’re going down that road, then where’s card games, board games, RPGs, etc?).
Would this book have been published in this format and length had it not been the pandemic?
It was the best of times & it was the worst of times, reading this book (apologies to Dickens).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2023
I have been a fan of A.J. Jacobs ever since I read his "The Know-It-All: One Man's Quest to Become the Smartest Man in the World" eighteen (18!!) years ago. That book is one of my favourites, a go-to comfort book. Since then, I've read every book A.J. has written and while I've enjoyed them all to varying degrees, none of them have replaced "The Know-It-All" as my favourite.
I just finished "The Puzzler" and while it doesn't replace "The Know-It-All" as my favourite either (we always go back to our first love), it is a close second. "The Puzzler" has A.J.'s classic writing style - open, breezy and accessible - which really draws me to his books. His interviews are excellent and I love the way he weaves the interviews with his own personal observations.
A.J. brings a genuine enthusiasm to the projects he undertakes and you can really feel his passion for the subject matter of "The Puzzler." When he was writing "The Know-It-All" he attended a conference for crossword puzzlers - I wonder if that is where the idea for this book gently germinated.
Personally, I'm not very good at puzzles, so I don't know if I'll attempt to solve the one that he and puzzle-contributor, Greg Pliska, created for this book. But even if I don't attempt that, I very much enjoyed the various examples of different types of puzzles that he included at the end of each chapter. There is a great blend of historical puzzles as well as modern - something I thought was a cool idea. An example of why A.J. is one of my favourite authors - he likes to give a 360 picture of whatever subject he is deep-diving on.
I read this as an ebook (thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC), but I have pre-ordered it as a hardback so I can attempt some of the crosswords and other puzzles included in the book.
"The Puzzler" is a lot of fun and one of A.J.'s best works. It will never replace the "Know-It-All" in my heart, but I can think of several people who will be getting it as a gift this holiday season :)
100% recommend!
I just finished "The Puzzler" and while it doesn't replace "The Know-It-All" as my favourite either (we always go back to our first love), it is a close second. "The Puzzler" has A.J.'s classic writing style - open, breezy and accessible - which really draws me to his books. His interviews are excellent and I love the way he weaves the interviews with his own personal observations.
A.J. brings a genuine enthusiasm to the projects he undertakes and you can really feel his passion for the subject matter of "The Puzzler." When he was writing "The Know-It-All" he attended a conference for crossword puzzlers - I wonder if that is where the idea for this book gently germinated.
Personally, I'm not very good at puzzles, so I don't know if I'll attempt to solve the one that he and puzzle-contributor, Greg Pliska, created for this book. But even if I don't attempt that, I very much enjoyed the various examples of different types of puzzles that he included at the end of each chapter. There is a great blend of historical puzzles as well as modern - something I thought was a cool idea. An example of why A.J. is one of my favourite authors - he likes to give a 360 picture of whatever subject he is deep-diving on.
I read this as an ebook (thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC), but I have pre-ordered it as a hardback so I can attempt some of the crosswords and other puzzles included in the book.
"The Puzzler" is a lot of fun and one of A.J.'s best works. It will never replace the "Know-It-All" in my heart, but I can think of several people who will be getting it as a gift this holiday season :)
100% recommend!
August 21, 2022
I enjoy reading A.J. Jacobs’ books because I can learn a lot and he’s generally quite funny. I do like someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously. I like doing a variety of puzzles: crossword, jigsaw, arrow and word search (which were not included in this book.) I just don’t like puzzles that are too hard, in any form. There are a lot of puzzles included in this book, and they are way beyond my capabilities! I want to relax with a puzzle, not drive myself insane. The author opts for an exploration of puzzles that will drive him crazy. Some literally have no solution, or one in particular will take his family generations to complete. What are the odds that his children will stick it in a closet at some point and forget about it?
I enjoyed the history of different types of puzzles and all the research he did. As usual, he goes above and beyond in his quest to get answers. His wife is an infinitely patient woman! Since I have this book in ebook form, I’ll probably download some of the PDFs and print out some of the more doable (for me) puzzles.
The books says it has 355 pages, but the main text ends at 256. The rest is rules for the online Puzzler Contest, puzzles to do yourself, resources, solutions etc. I did like that he included a lot of diagrams and photos of puzzles. (In the ebook the photos are in the back, as are the solutions, so there is a lot of jumping around.)
This is a fun book for puzzlers, and for those who like a lot of minutiae.
I enjoyed the history of different types of puzzles and all the research he did. As usual, he goes above and beyond in his quest to get answers. His wife is an infinitely patient woman! Since I have this book in ebook form, I’ll probably download some of the PDFs and print out some of the more doable (for me) puzzles.
The books says it has 355 pages, but the main text ends at 256. The rest is rules for the online Puzzler Contest, puzzles to do yourself, resources, solutions etc. I did like that he included a lot of diagrams and photos of puzzles. (In the ebook the photos are in the back, as are the solutions, so there is a lot of jumping around.)
This is a fun book for puzzlers, and for those who like a lot of minutiae.
July 2, 2022
Yes, I do love puzzles. Every day I do the New York Times crossword. I usually do Wordle, sometimes others and my favorite video games have always been ones that require you to solve puzzles to progress. Unfortunately, this book mostly didn't stir my puzzler's instincts. I did learn a few things about the history of different types of puzzles, but I knew a lot of it already and instead of making me feel a kinship with other puzzle lovers, it mostly just made me feel geeky. The included puzzles failed to quicken my heart. I just glanced at them and moved on when I didn't instantly see the solution (or at least the path to the solution).
However, there were two new things that stood out for me: First, the difference between a labryinth and a maze. I never knew that there was any distinction between the two, and I'm still not entirely clear on the idea of a labyrinth as a pathway that you follow on rails, experiencing the journey without having to find your way down false passages. I guess platform style video games are labyrinths. Second, I learned about the Snow White problem. I don't know how I missed this one until now. I don't think that it will become an obsession for me, but I have found myself thinking of it rather frequently in odd free moments since finishing the book.
However, there were two new things that stood out for me: First, the difference between a labryinth and a maze. I never knew that there was any distinction between the two, and I'm still not entirely clear on the idea of a labyrinth as a pathway that you follow on rails, experiencing the journey without having to find your way down false passages. I guess platform style video games are labyrinths. Second, I learned about the Snow White problem. I don't know how I missed this one until now. I don't think that it will become an obsession for me, but I have found myself thinking of it rather frequently in odd free moments since finishing the book.
January 17, 2023
I am very torn about this. I was close to stopping to read it a couple of times, because it was a bit too meandering for me and the author‘s self-deprecating humor just wasn‘t my cup of tea. But, there was also all sorts of weird puzzle trivia that I kept telling my friends about as well as a couple insights on how puzzles influence our daily life and what impact they have on humans, that I will remember. And that lasting impression deserves four stars.
June 9, 2022
This is the song of my people.
I don't know that I was sold on Jacob's "Puzzles will solve humanities problems" angle, but I really liked learning about all the different puzzle types and the people behind them.
I don't know that I was sold on Jacob's "Puzzles will solve humanities problems" angle, but I really liked learning about all the different puzzle types and the people behind them.
July 15, 2022
I've been jumping around this book to the type of puzzles I personally like - sudoku, jigsaws, crosswords, riddles - one co-worker insists on telling me a riddle every couple of weeks and I get the correct answer about half the time so the other day, I told her one from the book and she was getting there but gave up too soon. Some of the visual illusions and the hide and seek ones (love the picture of Waldo finding himself - that deserves to be on a tee *grin*). I did settle down and read all the others eventually. . . .
So there is something here for just about everyone and enough about each one that if that type is not one of your personal favorites, the chapter isn't too long. The puzzle examples - as well as the historic and modern challenges - can stimulate your ability to think outside of the proverbial box as well as tempt you into another variety of puzzle. Some extraordinary examples of huge Rubik's cube - 33 x 33 x 33 squares to move - to gorgeous wooden lock boxes that are puzzles and works of art at the same time. Jigsaws that have to be constructed in pieces and require community rooms for final assembly as they are yards-by-yards in size. Competitive tournaments for a variety of puzzle fans (or is that fanatics?).
When he discussed optical illusions like the Rubin vase (a vase or two faces) and others of a similar vein, I don't recall Jacobs mentioning the 3-d magic eye illusions from the 1990's which basically tested your ability to force the designs into three-dimensional images. But that might be my memory failing.
It's a fun book to go through. If you're borrowing a copy from your public library or from a friend, be prepared to make copies or even go to Jacobs' website to download puzzles for your own adventurous pleasure (or aggravation). Also, I have no interest in the secret puzzle from the foreword. Someone else can take up the competition and hopefully gain the profitable prize.
2022-155
So there is something here for just about everyone and enough about each one that if that type is not one of your personal favorites, the chapter isn't too long. The puzzle examples - as well as the historic and modern challenges - can stimulate your ability to think outside of the proverbial box as well as tempt you into another variety of puzzle. Some extraordinary examples of huge Rubik's cube - 33 x 33 x 33 squares to move - to gorgeous wooden lock boxes that are puzzles and works of art at the same time. Jigsaws that have to be constructed in pieces and require community rooms for final assembly as they are yards-by-yards in size. Competitive tournaments for a variety of puzzle fans (or is that fanatics?).
When he discussed optical illusions like the Rubin vase (a vase or two faces) and others of a similar vein, I don't recall Jacobs mentioning the 3-d magic eye illusions from the 1990's which basically tested your ability to force the designs into three-dimensional images. But that might be my memory failing.
It's a fun book to go through. If you're borrowing a copy from your public library or from a friend, be prepared to make copies or even go to Jacobs' website to download puzzles for your own adventurous pleasure (or aggravation). Also, I have no interest in the secret puzzle from the foreword. Someone else can take up the competition and hopefully gain the profitable prize.
2022-155
May 7, 2022
This book deserves way more than five stars. When I was only halfway through the first chapter I had already told three people they had to buy this book. Why? Research, humor, and gobs of puzzles (including a puzzle for readers to solve with a $10,000 prize!)
The author has a very engaging style. He has researched, travelled, and interviewed; and he has --as much as possible --done the puzzles/jigsaws/Rubik's cubes/puzzle boxes/sudokus/ciphers/riddles etc. This is a subject he is clearly passionate about and it shows.
Anyone who loves puzzles of any kind will find them addressed in this book. I really enjoyed all the history. Every chapter has samples (with answers in the back) and the last 20 or so pages are more. Literally weeks of entertainment here.
I really loved this book. I will continue to love it as I work through as many puzzles as I can. Highly, highly recommended to anyone who loves any kind of puzzle.
The author has a very engaging style. He has researched, travelled, and interviewed; and he has --as much as possible --done the puzzles/jigsaws/Rubik's cubes/puzzle boxes/sudokus/ciphers/riddles etc. This is a subject he is clearly passionate about and it shows.
Anyone who loves puzzles of any kind will find them addressed in this book. I really enjoyed all the history. Every chapter has samples (with answers in the back) and the last 20 or so pages are more. Literally weeks of entertainment here.
I really loved this book. I will continue to love it as I work through as many puzzles as I can. Highly, highly recommended to anyone who loves any kind of puzzle.
September 8, 2023
Well, this was right up my alley!! Jacobs takes a cheerful, inquisitive tour of a variety of puzzle forms (pretty much all of which I’m quite into except Rubik’s cubes, jigsaws, and chess puzzles). It was especially fun to read about puzzle hunts in a book since they’re such a passion of mine! (I wish there had been a full-fledged rather than partial chapter on escape rooms, though.) Jacobs brings an earnestness and sense of dorky humor to his grand puzzle survey that I really enjoyed. It was cool to see him jump into the deep end of forms he wasn’t that familiar with (casually grabbing coffee with Gary Kasparov, signing up to rep the USA at an international jigsaw competition, and rolling up to MIT Mystery Hunt stand out). It was also cool that he included so many fun puzzles inline! I checked this out from the library so I couldn’t go nuts with a pencil, but I still enjoyed perusing the included puzzles. Fun!
September 18, 2022
A fun book for fans of puzzles: me! The author covers everything from Rubik’s Cube to sudoko to riddles and mazes and jigsaws and so much more. As a bonus there are puzzles at the end of each chapter that he walks you through.
February 21, 2023
I loved this book. I am a puzzle nerd myself and knew about all the different puzzles that were mentioned. While I have finished reading the book I have not completed all the puzzles. I’m off to buy a hard copy and get to work!
April 28, 2022
Full disclosure: I love puzzles.
Specifically, I love crossword puzzles. As a bit of a word nerd, I love the process of working my way through a crossword, bringing together bits of trivia and deft wordplay to steadily fill in that black and white grid. I am a cruciverbalist at heart.
But puzzling is far more than just crossword puzzles. The world is filled with different sorts of puzzles – riddles and ciphers, cryptics and jigsaws and Rubik’s Cubes, chess problems and Sudoku grids – all with enthusiastic fans devoting their free time to discerning solutions.
A.J Jacobs loves puzzles too. So much so, in fact that he has written a whole book about them and the people who love them.
“The Puzzler: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life” is a fascinating journey through the puzzling world, a look at the many different varieties of puzzle and the people whose lives are shaped by them. All of it viewed through the eyes of one very dedicated – and very talented – chronicler.
Jacobs connects with iconic figures from the puzzling realm. He travels the globe, meeting legendary puzzlemakers and competing against some of the most gifted solvers in the world. And he digs into what it means to solve a puzzle, why we as humans are so fascinated with pushing ourselves toward difficult solutions, deriving pleasure from the intellectual pain.
Each chapter of the book is devoted to a different kind of puzzle. But while these puzzles might be wildly different from one another – as are the people who solve them – they all share that aspirational, inspirational quality. They want to be solved and we want to solve them, finding a singular solution in a world that sometimes feels a bit too crowded with gray areas.
He starts with his first love – crossword puzzles. His fascination with the form began at a young age; he comes from a family of puzzlers (there’s a lovely anecdote about how crosswords played into his parents’ relationship when they were separated by distance) and has long been a devotee.
A self-described word nerd, we venture down a variety of word puzzle paths alongside him over the course of the book. He digs into the verbal scramblings that are anagrams and the too-rich-for-my-blood crossover complexity of cryptics. Extending the word nerdery a bit further, we get chapters on riddles and ciphers as well.
But puzzles are more than words.
There are a couple of chapters that focus on mechanical puzzles. We spend some times with the foremost practitioners of the Rubik’s Cube, both the traditional cube and the Frankensteinian evolution of the puzzle, with 12-sided “cubes” and cubes whose sides change color as you solve them. He also spends a lot of time on Japanese puzzle boxes, a world with which I was unfamiliar, but that is absolutely saturated with brilliant craftspeople who have dedicated their lives toward the construction of meticulous and delicate boxes intended to please aesthetically as much as they do intellectually.
You might think of jigsaw puzzles and mazes as mere kid stuff, but those genres too have their makers who are as dedicated to the fiendish difficulty of their craft as any. Even Jacobs concedes he started off as a jigsaw snob before learning just how challenging they can be.
And on and on we go. Jacobs meets with Garry Kasparov to discuss the world of chess problems, one only tangentially connected to the games as it is meant to be played. He signs up for the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship with his family; they end up as the U.S. team. He takes on the legendary Kryptos, a sculpture puzzle located at CIA headquarters in Langley that has yet to be solved in 32 years. He takes part in the MIT Puzzle Hunt, a puzzle-based scavenger hunt so fiendishly difficult that participating teams enlist as many as 50 people to take part.
(One of my favorite chapters is the one simply titled “Infinite Puzzles.” I’m not going to tell you anything else because with a chapter heading like that, I don’t need to.)
And interspersed throughout – puzzles. What? You didn’t think someone would write a book about puzzles and not include puzzles, did you?
Some of the puzzles are pulled from history, offering a chance to see how various types have evolved over the years. Others are original to the book, with Jacobs teaming up with master puzzlemaker Greg Plishka to build a number of unique puzzles for readers to enjoy.
And then, of course, there’s the big one.
See, Jacobs – drawing inspiration from the 1979 book “Masquerade,” which contained puzzles that led to a golden rabbit statue that had been buried somewhere in Britain by author Kit Williams – has put a treasure hunt of his own in the pages of “The Puzzler.”
Beginning on May 3, a series of puzzles will be released on www.thepuzzlerbook.com. Those puzzles can only be accessed if you discern the clue hidden within the book’s introduction. It should be noted that the intro is free to access at the website – no purchase is necessary to play.
“The Puzzler” is an exceptional work of stunt nonfiction, a book wherein the author has placed themselves at the center of the story. It’s a continuation of the long history of participatory journalism – one in which Jacobs has already distinguished himself with earlier works such as the best-selling “The Year of Living Biblically.”
But while there’s a gimmickry at play here, the book doesn’t feel reliant on the gimmick. This is not a stunt for stunt’s sake. Jacobs is palpably passionate about his subject matter here, making his presence within the narrative not just acceptable but welcome. It’s impossible not to be swept up in his love of puzzles; we can’t help but experience that joy vicariously through him. And again, it doesn’t hurt that he’s given us plenty of ways to play along.
Indeed, it is the elements of memoir that elevate this book. By getting to know Jacobs, we’re given yet more insight into the world of puzzlers through the eyes of one of their own. It is a rich and idiosyncratic realm into which we’re being introduced; luckily, we have a deft and accomplished guide in A.J. Jacobs.
“The Puzzler” is an utter delight, a charming and informative work of nonfiction that evokes both the joys of its subject and the spirit of its author. If you’ve ever taken a shot at a Sudoku or done an escape room or just spent a few morning minutes with Wordle, you’ll dig this.
In short, if the puzzle is what to read next, Jacobs has given you the solution.
Specifically, I love crossword puzzles. As a bit of a word nerd, I love the process of working my way through a crossword, bringing together bits of trivia and deft wordplay to steadily fill in that black and white grid. I am a cruciverbalist at heart.
But puzzling is far more than just crossword puzzles. The world is filled with different sorts of puzzles – riddles and ciphers, cryptics and jigsaws and Rubik’s Cubes, chess problems and Sudoku grids – all with enthusiastic fans devoting their free time to discerning solutions.
A.J Jacobs loves puzzles too. So much so, in fact that he has written a whole book about them and the people who love them.
“The Puzzler: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life” is a fascinating journey through the puzzling world, a look at the many different varieties of puzzle and the people whose lives are shaped by them. All of it viewed through the eyes of one very dedicated – and very talented – chronicler.
Jacobs connects with iconic figures from the puzzling realm. He travels the globe, meeting legendary puzzlemakers and competing against some of the most gifted solvers in the world. And he digs into what it means to solve a puzzle, why we as humans are so fascinated with pushing ourselves toward difficult solutions, deriving pleasure from the intellectual pain.
Each chapter of the book is devoted to a different kind of puzzle. But while these puzzles might be wildly different from one another – as are the people who solve them – they all share that aspirational, inspirational quality. They want to be solved and we want to solve them, finding a singular solution in a world that sometimes feels a bit too crowded with gray areas.
He starts with his first love – crossword puzzles. His fascination with the form began at a young age; he comes from a family of puzzlers (there’s a lovely anecdote about how crosswords played into his parents’ relationship when they were separated by distance) and has long been a devotee.
A self-described word nerd, we venture down a variety of word puzzle paths alongside him over the course of the book. He digs into the verbal scramblings that are anagrams and the too-rich-for-my-blood crossover complexity of cryptics. Extending the word nerdery a bit further, we get chapters on riddles and ciphers as well.
But puzzles are more than words.
There are a couple of chapters that focus on mechanical puzzles. We spend some times with the foremost practitioners of the Rubik’s Cube, both the traditional cube and the Frankensteinian evolution of the puzzle, with 12-sided “cubes” and cubes whose sides change color as you solve them. He also spends a lot of time on Japanese puzzle boxes, a world with which I was unfamiliar, but that is absolutely saturated with brilliant craftspeople who have dedicated their lives toward the construction of meticulous and delicate boxes intended to please aesthetically as much as they do intellectually.
You might think of jigsaw puzzles and mazes as mere kid stuff, but those genres too have their makers who are as dedicated to the fiendish difficulty of their craft as any. Even Jacobs concedes he started off as a jigsaw snob before learning just how challenging they can be.
And on and on we go. Jacobs meets with Garry Kasparov to discuss the world of chess problems, one only tangentially connected to the games as it is meant to be played. He signs up for the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship with his family; they end up as the U.S. team. He takes on the legendary Kryptos, a sculpture puzzle located at CIA headquarters in Langley that has yet to be solved in 32 years. He takes part in the MIT Puzzle Hunt, a puzzle-based scavenger hunt so fiendishly difficult that participating teams enlist as many as 50 people to take part.
(One of my favorite chapters is the one simply titled “Infinite Puzzles.” I’m not going to tell you anything else because with a chapter heading like that, I don’t need to.)
And interspersed throughout – puzzles. What? You didn’t think someone would write a book about puzzles and not include puzzles, did you?
Some of the puzzles are pulled from history, offering a chance to see how various types have evolved over the years. Others are original to the book, with Jacobs teaming up with master puzzlemaker Greg Plishka to build a number of unique puzzles for readers to enjoy.
And then, of course, there’s the big one.
See, Jacobs – drawing inspiration from the 1979 book “Masquerade,” which contained puzzles that led to a golden rabbit statue that had been buried somewhere in Britain by author Kit Williams – has put a treasure hunt of his own in the pages of “The Puzzler.”
Beginning on May 3, a series of puzzles will be released on www.thepuzzlerbook.com. Those puzzles can only be accessed if you discern the clue hidden within the book’s introduction. It should be noted that the intro is free to access at the website – no purchase is necessary to play.
“The Puzzler” is an exceptional work of stunt nonfiction, a book wherein the author has placed themselves at the center of the story. It’s a continuation of the long history of participatory journalism – one in which Jacobs has already distinguished himself with earlier works such as the best-selling “The Year of Living Biblically.”
But while there’s a gimmickry at play here, the book doesn’t feel reliant on the gimmick. This is not a stunt for stunt’s sake. Jacobs is palpably passionate about his subject matter here, making his presence within the narrative not just acceptable but welcome. It’s impossible not to be swept up in his love of puzzles; we can’t help but experience that joy vicariously through him. And again, it doesn’t hurt that he’s given us plenty of ways to play along.
Indeed, it is the elements of memoir that elevate this book. By getting to know Jacobs, we’re given yet more insight into the world of puzzlers through the eyes of one of their own. It is a rich and idiosyncratic realm into which we’re being introduced; luckily, we have a deft and accomplished guide in A.J. Jacobs.
“The Puzzler” is an utter delight, a charming and informative work of nonfiction that evokes both the joys of its subject and the spirit of its author. If you’ve ever taken a shot at a Sudoku or done an escape room or just spent a few morning minutes with Wordle, you’ll dig this.
In short, if the puzzle is what to read next, Jacobs has given you the solution.
March 19, 2025
This was a fun, chill read (with some puzzles!). Perfect if you are into puzzles and want some light reading
June 30, 2022
I adored this. It was the Atlas Obscura Finding Wonder selection for June, and it’s a gift that keeps on giving. First, it’s a great read: witty, full of fun facts. Second, it’s packed with all manner of puzzles to solve long after reading. Third, on audio, there are bonus audio-exclusive puzzles (a la Sunday Puzzle time with Will Shortz on NPR). And on audio, you get access to a PDF of puzzles from the book. It does a far better and more entertaining job of digging into the history of puzzles and interrogating the human drive to solve them than the World According to Jeff Goldblum episode on puzzles. My dad’s side of the family passed down a long, proud tradition of puzzling passion, across nearly every kind of puzzle Jacobs considers here. Several years ago, Dad wrote a sermon revolving around sudoku. It was great, and he made a little handout of take-away lessons, which I have tacked to my cubicle wall for inspiration when I’m wrestling with a knotty project. Here is the text of that handout:
Nine important characteristics of Sudoku:
1. You are working toward an unknown, yet certain, outcome.
2. There are certain limits on the paths you can take, and you do not have a random choice of paths.
3. As each block is filled, the remaining choices are affected. Each step has a consequence. Consider each entry from three different angles.
4. Consequences of a wrong step, caused by simply guessing or faulty logic may not show up until much later.
5. There are nearly six billion different possible combinations (enough for every person on earth) - each person's life is a separate story or puzzle. Knowing the solution that someone else has come up with for their puzzle doesn't mean it will work for your problem.
6. Knowing the solution for your puzzle ahead of time is pointless. The challenge and the fun are in working it out.
7. It often takes a lot of time. It may take many attempts, between which you will need to take breaks in order to get a fresh perspective.
8. It is better to do the puzzle in pencil. You need an eraser sometimes. Fresh starts are allowed and encouraged.
9. After a critical point, the work becomes easier. The hardest time is when you are halfway through.
Nine important Sudoku lessons for life: (Reference Mark 9:30-37 and Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22)
1. God may know the completed grid that your life will form, but you must fill it in. It's the way you live your life that is important, not how fast you live it or what it looks like to others.
2. Look at consequences of your actions from all angles. How do your decisions affect others and the decisions they must make?
3. Open your mind to fresh ways of seeing things. Be like the child Jesus refers to in the gospel.
4. When certain blocks are filled, new ways of filling the remaining open blocks become apparent. When one door is closed, God opens another.
5. Don't give up. Keep trying until you find your way past the stumbling block. Our faith tells us that there is always a better time ahead.
6. People will say you should stop wasting your time and take an easier path. But they may not see or appreciate the secret purposes of God.
7. It's never too late to get a fresh start. Mistakes can be forgiven.
8. Solving one puzzle doesn't solve them all. God will continue to challenge us. Don't worry about who is greatest. Worry about who is least.
9. We grow in wisdom not by accumulating a library of information about problems that have been solved, but by learning how to approach the unknown. Our faith assures us God is present in all things and will be revealed to us.
Nine important characteristics of Sudoku:
1. You are working toward an unknown, yet certain, outcome.
2. There are certain limits on the paths you can take, and you do not have a random choice of paths.
3. As each block is filled, the remaining choices are affected. Each step has a consequence. Consider each entry from three different angles.
4. Consequences of a wrong step, caused by simply guessing or faulty logic may not show up until much later.
5. There are nearly six billion different possible combinations (enough for every person on earth) - each person's life is a separate story or puzzle. Knowing the solution that someone else has come up with for their puzzle doesn't mean it will work for your problem.
6. Knowing the solution for your puzzle ahead of time is pointless. The challenge and the fun are in working it out.
7. It often takes a lot of time. It may take many attempts, between which you will need to take breaks in order to get a fresh perspective.
8. It is better to do the puzzle in pencil. You need an eraser sometimes. Fresh starts are allowed and encouraged.
9. After a critical point, the work becomes easier. The hardest time is when you are halfway through.
Nine important Sudoku lessons for life: (Reference Mark 9:30-37 and Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22)
1. God may know the completed grid that your life will form, but you must fill it in. It's the way you live your life that is important, not how fast you live it or what it looks like to others.
2. Look at consequences of your actions from all angles. How do your decisions affect others and the decisions they must make?
3. Open your mind to fresh ways of seeing things. Be like the child Jesus refers to in the gospel.
4. When certain blocks are filled, new ways of filling the remaining open blocks become apparent. When one door is closed, God opens another.
5. Don't give up. Keep trying until you find your way past the stumbling block. Our faith tells us that there is always a better time ahead.
6. People will say you should stop wasting your time and take an easier path. But they may not see or appreciate the secret purposes of God.
7. It's never too late to get a fresh start. Mistakes can be forgiven.
8. Solving one puzzle doesn't solve them all. God will continue to challenge us. Don't worry about who is greatest. Worry about who is least.
9. We grow in wisdom not by accumulating a library of information about problems that have been solved, but by learning how to approach the unknown. Our faith assures us God is present in all things and will be revealed to us.
June 30, 2022
I totally see the appeal and even though I'm not a puzzler by nature because I don't like the struggle especially because of my negative associations with math specifically for those kinds of puzzles, Jacobs won me over with his enthusiastic, semi-memoir excitement about all of the kinds of puzzles that exist be it cryptograms to chess, Japanese puzzle boxes, or anagrams.
He balances the book with anecdotes, interviews and connections with experts of the various types of puzzles or famous solvers, including them (with a key at the back) and challenges for ones still left unsolved, and bits about his own life in puzzles. There was a cadence to each chapter and a richness to his love for the topic that felt like reading Mary Roach but also what I loved about books like Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism or Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World that demonstrate that one person's interest might be other people's interest and there's no better way to figure it out than to write a book about it and see who bites. In this case, many people bit and this book is making it's round on best-seller lists as well as much-discussed in general. The storytelling, bits of humor, and thought-provoking connections mixed with actual research make it a focused and delectable nonfiction story that isn't so niche as to be unreadable to the masses. He's the everyman's puzzler and he's bringing it to a couch (with a cup of tea) near you. Or, on the plane to the competition to represent the United States in world championship jigsaw puzzling.
He balances the book with anecdotes, interviews and connections with experts of the various types of puzzles or famous solvers, including them (with a key at the back) and challenges for ones still left unsolved, and bits about his own life in puzzles. There was a cadence to each chapter and a richness to his love for the topic that felt like reading Mary Roach but also what I loved about books like Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism or Let's Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World that demonstrate that one person's interest might be other people's interest and there's no better way to figure it out than to write a book about it and see who bites. In this case, many people bit and this book is making it's round on best-seller lists as well as much-discussed in general. The storytelling, bits of humor, and thought-provoking connections mixed with actual research make it a focused and delectable nonfiction story that isn't so niche as to be unreadable to the masses. He's the everyman's puzzler and he's bringing it to a couch (with a cup of tea) near you. Or, on the plane to the competition to represent the United States in world championship jigsaw puzzling.
December 4, 2022
The Puzzler is an engaging read…a wealth of trivial yet gratifying information about puzzles and for a puzzle lover, it was so much fun! Sharpening problem solving skills while learning the history of puzzles can improve your thinking and hearing the author’s stories about conquering the most difficult challenges were motivating and insightful. His experiences with the New York Times crossword puzzle guru, Will Shortz, attempting to solve the most difficult corn maze and his entry into the World’s Jigsaw Puzzle Championship representing Team USA with his family were entertaining to learn about.
My brother, also a lover of puzzles recommended The Puzzler to me; he knew I would be into this book like he was – and maybe that is proof that genetics influence our preferences! I recommend the hardcover version as opposed to audio or digital because A. J. Jacobs generously provides tons of puzzles to work on and some great color photos to peruse as well. If you are interested in anything puzzle-like (I solve Wordle everyday, play sudoku often and always have a jigsaw puzzle in progress on the dining room table) you will enjoy this one!
September 18, 2022
Extremely fun in multiple ways. I always enjoy reading about each of Jacobs' deep dives, and although he could have focused on one type of puzzle and comfortably had enough material to fill a book, I like the way that he instead serves up a sampler platter to give readers a taste of everything along with many examples to try. The inclusion of COVID-19 is fitting here, as puzzles of all sorts exploded in popularity while individuals everywhere were in lockdown. Jacobs has to be kicking himself that Wordle blew up as he was completing the book and he was only able to squeeze a brief mention into the introduction; information about that word game could have undoubtedly filled a chapter. The book's conclusion is that puzzles are not merely time wasters, but can help form a flexible, creative mind and provide helpful insight, both of which the world could use a lot more of. Bonus points for Jacobs' work with Pliska to create original puzzles for the book, which makes the experience of reading this an interactive joy.
January 10, 2022
This was a fun book about all the different kinds of puzzles out there and about the people who are experts in each type. I enjoyed learning about new puzzles and taking a deep dive into types I was already familiar with. I too am a puzzle junkie--I was bummed that there wasn't more on escape rooms (my favorite). But I am also going to get the print version of this book when it comes out so I can solve the many puzzles included (I only had an e-ARC version). Also, there's a big cash prize for someone who finds a puzzle hidden in the book! I doubt I'll be the first to find it and get the money, but I'm hoping to find it within the final print. Just because I'm a completionist and can't stand leaving things undone. Speaking of which, there were a few totally impossible puzzles in here, and Jacobs stresses that it's about the journey and not the final product--but I definitely am about the dopamine rush that hits when you figure out a clue!
September 7, 2022
The author, a life-long fan of puzzles, decides to tackle the hardest ones in several categories including jigsaw puzzles and crosswords.
I always enjoy A.J. Jacobs's books - they're information in a fun way. I love the way he throws himself into whatever experiment he's trying each time. He does a good job of giving you dribs and drabs of information with self-deprecating humor that never turns into an infodump. I used to love puzzles as a teenager but tend to just smile, nod, and pass on when I see them now.
I've read five books by the author and would rank them from most enjoyable for me as: The Puzzler, Guinea Pig Diaries, Year of Living Biblically, Drop Dead Healthy, and The Know-It-All.
I always enjoy A.J. Jacobs's books - they're information in a fun way. I love the way he throws himself into whatever experiment he's trying each time. He does a good job of giving you dribs and drabs of information with self-deprecating humor that never turns into an infodump. I used to love puzzles as a teenager but tend to just smile, nod, and pass on when I see them now.
I've read five books by the author and would rank them from most enjoyable for me as: The Puzzler, Guinea Pig Diaries, Year of Living Biblically, Drop Dead Healthy, and The Know-It-All.
April 29, 2024
I kept picking up this book then putting it down again, so it wasn’t a very continuous read, but I like that each chapter is a distinct puzzle so it almost doesn’t matter if you read it continuously. The puzzles sprinkled throughout the book as well as the mega puzzle at the end are fun! Can’t say I found the meaning of life, but I did feel a little existential about spending so much time on jigsaw puzzles. I mean you’re intentionally breaking apart a picture just to painstakingly put it back together again, sometimes with little challenges that make it harder like not looking at the reference photo…
July 26, 2022
This is my newest favorite AJ Jacobs book. This time around, it's all about puzzles-short chapters dedicated to many types of puzzles that I either enjoy, dislike, or have never heard of. Everything from cryptics to unsolvable jigsaw puzzles to Ken-Ken/sodoku to riddles to Japanese puzzle boxes.
I credit reading this book for getting me back into crosswords! I picked up a book of NYT Mini Crosswords and it's nice to do if I have a couple of minutes. My very favorite puzzles will always be logic grid puzzles, though.
I credit reading this book for getting me back into crosswords! I picked up a book of NYT Mini Crosswords and it's nice to do if I have a couple of minutes. My very favorite puzzles will always be logic grid puzzles, though.
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