No comments about Uncle John's Bathroom Puzzler: Pop Culture Puzzle-Pedia (Uncle John's Bathroom Puzzler).

No comments about The New York Times Crosswords for Two: 200 Fun Puzzles to Share (New York Times Crossword Book).

5 comments about Two-In-One Crosswords: Hard And Easy Clues For Every Puzzle.

1. The two-in-one format is brilliant. Does anyone know if Newgate has published other books like this? If so, please post here. And the puzzles are super-challenging. In both formats.



2. I would have published most of these puzzles myself. Guess I'm just jealous.



3. The puzzles kept me going for hours and hours. Best way to spend time since you-know-what. And maybe even better!



4. This is truly the best crossword book that I have ever worked. Having the choice of easy or hard clues just made it so much fun. I often leave at least a few puzzles unfinished before tossing a book, but I finished every single word of every puzzle in this book. I also loved the paper quality in this book. Pencil erased very well from it, so it was easy to correct mistakes. The size and weight of the book also makes it a perfect travel companion. I would love to see more of these books released --- this was the best!!



5. I can't believe the quality of these puzzles. Manna from heaven!

1 comments about Italian Word Puzzles (Foreign Language Word Puzzles).

1. It helps acquire vocabulary, which is always useful. The book could have more games, using the same words 3 or 4 times, in order to help us memorize them.

1 comments about The New York Times Easy Crossword Puzzles Volume 5: 50 Solvable Puzzles from the Pages of The New York Times (New York Times Easy Crossword Puzzles).

1. I am a huge fan of The New York Times Easy Crossword Puzzle books and have been completing them in succession, starting with the first one. The first four were great - all original puzzles. Volume 5, however, is filled with repeats, many of them taken directly from Volume 4. Save your money on this one - you've probably already completed the puzzles anyway.

No comments about The New York Times Coffee, Tea or Crosswords: 75 Light and Easy Puzzles.

No comments about People Puzzler, The: Box Set.

No comments about Random House Casual Crosswords, Volume 1 (Other).

1 comments about Simon and Schuster Crossword Puzzle Book #236: The Original Crossword Puzzle Publisher (Simon & Schuster Crossword Puzzle Books).

1. I have enjoyed these books for many years and was happy to find I could purchase them online.

5 comments about Cruciverbalism: A Crossword Fanatic's Guide to Life in the Grid.

1. I have been doing xwords for 60some yearsand this book told me that I have doing them right. I really love the older style themeless puzzles, but the newer ones are great as long as they are difficult. I read a lot and have been a good speller, vocabulary is so helpful. Stans's book is entertaining and also instructive, and I picked up some hints from him. I am 70 and they say xwords are the way to keep your brain cooking S Linley, Ilwaco ,Wa



2. As a late entrant into the world of Crosswords (53 years old), I found this gem amazingly helpful in refining both my knowledge of and style in working these word puzzles. By following Mr. Newman's simple suggestions, I hae whittled down my time (remember, small case letters!) and increased my ability to take the "Saturday Stumper" challenge.
   Loved the history, characters, wordplay, especially the puns, and easy style. Mr. Newman's writing made me feel like I was part of an interactive discussion of the crossword with his multi-leveled presentation of crossword construction.
   I heartily recommend this to all Crossword enthusiasts.



3. An entertaining little book with some good suggestions for improving your crossword puzzle solving skills. A bit too much self-promotion for my taste.



4. Hey, if you like to work crossword puzzles you're gonna love this book. You will not only be thoroughly entertained, but you will learn a thing or two in the process. Newman's enthusiasm is contagious even though I was already quite passionate about the subject to begin with. Maybe even fanatical. But if I wasn't before reading Cruciverbalism, I probably qualify as a full-fledged fanatic now because I've experienced a distinct improvement in my solving skills thanks to a few insider tips from the master.
   
   Check it out. You'll be glad you did.



5. This work is marred by unexpected self-aggrandizement and mean-spiritedness. In the first chapter, the author lets us know he was able to beat competitors to win three major crossword competitions in a row. He also tells us he was brave enough to attack, in writing, Eugene Maleska, then crossword editor of the New York Times. Dr. Maleska's approach, and one of his apparent flaws as Mr. Newman sees it, was to encourage and use many crossword clues based on classical and obscure references, including Latin words, rather than the more pun-oriented wordplay, and contemporary references approach used by most modern crossword constructors. There is some irony that Mr. Newman's book is titled, "Cruciverbalism - A Crossword Fanatics's Guide..." rather than simply "Crosswords - A Fanatics's Guide ..."
   
   Word play and current references make crossword puzzles accessible to a wider audience, while less common "academic" references often inform and educate. Thus, it is appropriate to contrast and discuss each of these approaches, and consider if one approach is always more appropriate and desirable, or if both should co-exist to appeal to different audiences, or to the same audiences at different times. However, Mr. Newman's comments are not just a reasoned explication and evaluation of these two construction approaches. Rather, his attacks are ad hominem, and appear to reflect a strong and extended personal animosity that has continued even after Dr. Maleska death in 1993.
   
   Mr. Newman has, to me, the ill-manners to note that after Dr. Maleska's death he, Mr Newman, was assigned to edit Dr. Maleska's puzzles. To quote Mr. Newman, this is what the phrase "spinning in his grave" was invented for.
   
   During Eugene Maleska's tenure at the New York Times he produced irritation and anger among some solvers and many constructors, not primarily by his approach to crossword construction which many disagreed with, but more by his notoriously sharp rejection letters to crossword constructors whose work he would not accept. An earlier perceptive reviewer told Mr. Newman to "deal with it"; I agree. Mr. Newman's obsession with Dr. Maleska, and the author's self-promotion, fatally damages what should otherwise have been an outstanding work.
   
   Some reviewers here refer to the author as "Stan". Whether they already know him or not, its clear many folks hold him in high regard. Additionally, the book carries a short endorsement from the current and widely respected NY Times crossword editor. Thus, this work appears atypical of Mr. Newman's attitudes and relationships in the crossword world.
   
   The author is clearly in the top tier of crossword solvers and constructors, and very well versed in the business side of crossword publishing. This work already contains some quite fascinating anecdotes and stories about crossword solvers and constructors, discussion of solution strategy, as well as some interesting history about the growth of the U.S. crossword interest/obsession. Its list of 100 essential words for crosswords puzzles is excellent. If the egregious personal attacks and egocentric references could be removed from any later editions, and the work expanded -- the relatively small format, page count, and margins make this almost more pamphlet-sized than book-sized -- to include more for Mr. Newman's clearly outstanding knowledge of crossword solution strategies, history, construction, and the crossword business this would be an exemplary work for crossword enthusiasts.
   
   The often stated, "It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It" applies here. Mr. Newman's stories and anecdotes are frequently informative and often fascinating. Rewritten with less animus, this would be an exceptional work. Unfortunately, in its current state, it reflects an inappropriate pettiness, and contains so much vain and boastful writing that it cannot be highly rated.