Book Review: The Puzzler

Prior to her decline into dementia, my mother shared my passion for puzzles. I try to start my day with quiet time in God's Word, but starting immediately isn't conducive because my brain is still sluggish. To fix the problem, I start my day with a Fill-In puzzle. My mother-in-law was always keen on crossword puzzles. I find those too hard. Fill-Ins are a magical sort of puzzle because they provide the words and you fit them in the grid.

Fill-Ins did not appear in this fascinating study of puzzles written by A. J. Jacobs, The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life. Two words in the subtitle clarify why Fill-Ins didn't make the grade. Fill-Ins are for those who want a slow jaunt for the brain, not a Kilimanjaro climb. Still, I love them. A few of my Fill-In books even have other ones I favor: Frameworks, Letterboxes, and Stretch Letters. Revs the engine, but doesn't tax the noggin.

Right from the start, I appreciated Jacobs' sense of humor. He mentions that the Rubik's Cube makers billed it as having over 3 billion combinations. Apparently, that was a gross underestimation. It has 43 quintillion combinations, but they figured most of us cannot fathom a number that large. To show the absurdity, he said that's like saying, "McDonalds - over 2 served." 

Jacobs articulates that thrill I feel when I solve a jigsaw puzzle or cryptogram (used to get those in the Indy Star, but no longer subscribe). His book breaks down all sorts of puzzles: Crosswords, Anagrams, Rebuses, Jigsaws, Mazes, Sudoku, Puzzle Boxes, and British Cryptics (yikes, no thank you). He goes above and beyond to reach out to the ultimate examples of each of these puzzles. The book even contains a puzzle contest. But, don't get too excited. Someone has already found the clue in the book, solved the requisite puzzles and won the $10,000 prize. I did not take the time to think on any of the puzzles in the book, but it was a delightful and fun read anyway.