The Puzzler

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 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.

(Book). PhDeath is a fast-paced thriller set in a major university in a major city on a square. The faculty finds itself in deadly intellectual combat with the anonymous Puzzler. Along with teams of US Military Intelligence and the city's top detective and aided by the Puzzle Master of The New York Times , their collective brains are no match for the Puzzler's perverse talents. Carse, Emeritus Professor himself at a premier university in a major city on a square shows no mercy in his creation of the seemingly omniscient Puzzler, who through a sequence of atrocities beginning and ending with the academic year, turns up one hidden pocket of moral rot after another: flawed research, unabashed venality, ideological rigidity, pornographic obsessions, undue political and corporate influence, subtle schemes of blackmail, the penetration of national and foreign intelligence agencies, brazen violation of copyrights, even the production and sale of addictive drugs.

Introducing People Puzzler's first BIG BOOK of puzzles! The puzzler bind-up from the popular series contains over 300 pages of puzzles and is sure to delight the legions of fans who made the puzzle series a hit and who turn to the puzzler page of PEOPLE magazine each week. Fun for all ages, and anyone who owns, has owned, or knows anyone who has owned a television. Contains: People Celebrity Puzzler Celebrates the Classics!, Celebrity Puzzler Holiday SUPERBOOK and People Celebrity Puzzler Holiday Madness!

There’s a world full of puzzles. Some will simply challenge the mind. Others will unlock riches. And some . . . WELL, NOT ALL PUZZLES ARE GAMES More than a hundred years have passed since the Catastrophe brought humanity to the brink of extinction. Those who survived are changed. The Wildeners have reverted to the old beliefs—but with new Gods—while others place their faith in the technology that once powered their lost civilization. In the mysterious City of Towers, the center of the destroyed Tarakan empire, a lowly scribe of the Guild of Historians is charged with a dangerous assignment. He must venture into the wilds beyond the glass and steel towers to discover the fate of a child who mysteriously disappeared more than a decade before. Born of a rare breed of marked people, this child, Rafik—known as “the Key”—was one of a special few with the power to restore this lost civilization to glory once again. In a world riven by fear and violence, where tattooed mutants, manic truckers, warring guilds, and greedy mercenaries battle for survival, Rafik may have single-handedly destroyed humanity’s only chance for salvation—unless the scribe can figure out what happened to him.

"Entertaining far-future adventure." — Publishers Weekly "Kless continues to hold readers’ attention with this riveting story." — Booklist

For fans of The Westing Game and The 39 Clues, a third exciting Winston Breen adventure! Winston Breen and his friends Mal and Jake accompany Mr. Penrose for a weekend of puzzles and games at the mansion of a famous musician. Over the course of the weekend, some guests’ prizes and belongings inexplicably disappear. As the group continues with the elaborate puzzles—which the reader is invited to solve too—some of the guests try to figure out who is stealing things, and others become suspects. But in the end it’s Winston who stumbles upon several clues, and eventually discovers the real culprit. A fast-paced whodunit, this latest Winston Beren installment will have readers hooked!

This book includes what more of the people puzzlers readers love, plus more than 30 extra-large Jumbo Puzzlers! (Caution: Readers will need to stretch and hydrate before attempting! Think you know your pop-culture trivia? Sure of the movie that brought Julia Roberts an Oscar? Know the character names of all the friends? Certain of which boy band lance Bass sang with ON Sync? Backstreet Boys? The Kingston Trio?) Grab a pencil and give the crossword-style trivia test a go. This book offers fun for all ages, and anyone who owns, has owned, or knows anyone who has owned a television.

The tradition of honoring Martin Gardner continues with this edited collection of articles by those who have been inspired by Gardner to enter mathematics, to enter magic, to bring magic into their mathematics, or to bring mathematics into their magic. Contributing authors include world-leading puzzle designers, puzzle collectors, mathematicians, a

First came the Puzzler book. Then came the JUMBO edition. Now, from the same pleasantly-warped puzzle makers at PEOPLE comes the CELEBRITY PUZZLER SUPERBOOK. More than 100 celebrity-based puzzles, including PEOPLE's famous Puzzlers, plus acrostics and word-search challengers and more. Hone your pencil, sharpen your wits, breathe deep and go!

As a leader, how do you discover and implement breakthrough opportunities? Gamify challenges. Level up your team. And play to WIN. Unveiling a comprehensive approach to extraordinary problem-solving, The GAME of Innovation offers all you need to meet challenges head on and seize the competitive edge. Conceived by a super-creative quartet of top-tier business consultants, The GAME of Innovation builds upon a novel premise: What if you framed problems as if they were games of profound significance? How might you design something new or reimagine the old, particularly when competition increases, technology disrupts, change accelerates, money tightens, and the rules of success are constantly evolving? The book then shares a flexible methodology for designing powerhouse problem-solving GAMEs (Guidelines, Arena, Materials, Experience), aligning teams with 5 problem-solving “lenses,” building consensus behind change, and leading/managing the process. This uncommon, easy-to-read, visual book is packed with actionable strategies that will help you and your community thrive when playing The GAME of Innovation.