No comments about Will Shortz Presents Stress-Free Sudoku: 100 Wordless Crossword Puzzles (Will Shortz Presents...).

No comments about Genius Deck Color Puzzles (Genius Decks).

No comments about Little Book of Bathroom Sudoku: 160 Brain- straining number Placing Games (Little Bathroom Book).

No comments about Will Shortz Presents The Giant Gift Book of Sudoku: 300 Wordless Crossword Puzzles.

No comments about Almost Impossible Brain Bafflers (Mensa).

2 comments about Games Magazine Presents Will Shortz's Best Brain Busters (Other).

1. Ok, maybe it wasn't sexy, but seriously, this is an awesome book. It is challenging, but without being too hard. It has many creative puzzles, some that I have never even seen before. There are also some well-known puzzle types, which I thought was a good thing. Think you are good at those newspaper crossword puzzles? You haven't seen anything yet! These puzzles are very fun, and it is a great deal better than sitting around and watching television. It is also a good way to pass the time. I honestly think this is a great book, and, in no way, a waste of money. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone.



2. I just purchased this book, and I am enjoying it for the most part. I believe Mr. Shortz has a great gift for creative and thoughtful word puzzles. I have to say, however, that I'm a little frustrated with the arcane vocabulary some of the puzzles require. One of the reasons I don't do crosswords is because I never learned what "oleo" was - nor do I care. I love thoughtful puzzles that you can do without a dictionary. Unfortunately, the second puzzle in this book drove me to using my grandfather's 1960 unabridged RH dictionary. Lugging that thing up onto the couch can undermine the recreation feel of the activity. On the second puzzle, however, I discover that my dictionary doesn't have the word/acronym NGITIC (a type of tank apparently). You get my point. I love a book of puzzles that requires only a strong vocabulary and a decent degree of cultural literacy. I think Will Shortz's "Puzzlemaster Presents" series are a good example of this. I have also enjoyed puzzles like these by Pat Battaglia ("Are You Smart, Or What?"). These are very clever and they don't require outside resources to provide creative critical thinking fun.

2 comments about New York Times Daily Crossword Puzzles, Volume 27 (NY Times).

1. If you love crosswords, get these books.

   I do suggest, though, that Amazon include the volume number in each title, so that a person who wants to find volume 52, for example, doesn't have to read every page.

   By the way, I had a reason for mentioning volume 52 ... The #1 puzzle in that volume predicted Clinton's Win over Gore in the Election Day 1996 puzzle.

   You can find #52 ...

   Be sure to get that one, then buy the rest of the books for the puzzle lover in your family.

   John




2. These great compilations need to have the volume number in the title and in the description. When I wanted to find volume 52, I had to search through every book after November 1996, because I knew that the "CLINTON ELECTED" puzzle was in volume 52.

   Here's the pointer for #52, by the way. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0812931645/recommendations

   If you look at the clues, you'll see that the puzzle also predicted "BOB DOLE ELECTED" so it's a historic puzzle.

No comments about 200 Word Puzzles (Boost Your Brainpower).

No comments about Dinosaurs Block Puzzle.

3 comments about I Love Me, Vol. 1: S. Wordrow's Palindrome Encyclopedia.

1. There are spots of brilliance in this book, and unfortunately much larger spots of sappy material, such as codes for airports or peculiar numbers that happen to be palindromes. Palindromes are an art form, perhaps the most constrained art form, and some, like those of J. A. Lindon, are sublime. The author himself contributes a few very good original examples. He also slavishly quotes a number of other sources and in particular is treats everything by Lindon as a work of genius. Lindon was admittedly good, but not quite that good. The author's scholarly work in finding the sources of famous palindromes is not superficial. The worst feature of the book is that the author cannot resist adding an inane 'explanation' after almost all entries. The book would have been better with about half its content excised.



2. Word-gamers, punners, palindromists, and the simply weird will enjoy this book. It's full of mind-twisting and paradigm-bending palindromes, some of which are old chestnuts (such as Napoleon's lament "Able was ere I saw Elba" or the more complicated "'Naomi, sex at noon taxes', I moan") while others are truly bizarre. Moreover, the author plucks palindromes out of heretofore unexplored territory (airport codes, geographical locations, and the like).

   Interestingly, the book is not limited to palindromes; it also features some anagrams as well as word-squares.

   Don't expect to read this in one sitting. Your mind will turn to mush if you try to do so!




3. Donner deserves high praise for having compiled this item-- I enjoy consulting it from time to time, and my son picks it up when he's looking for a chuckle. Others (below) criticize it for perhaps containing too many examples, and some that seem borderline, but I appreciate the full gamut. Is this book for everyone? No, clearly not-- word nuts may only represent a tiny corner of the world, but we need such books to keep us amused! This one more than fills the bill.