5 comments about Jumble Madness: Crazy for Jumbles (Jumble Series).

1. I was very happy to find this book of puzzles - I enjoy working them a lot. Thanks



2. I am lost for words. Great book! Excellent layout.....good chance of success if you diligently do as told!



3. This book of Jumble Puzzles is just the right balance between challenging and not-too-hard to be discouraging. We recommend it very highly for all Jumble addicts!



4. I use these Jumbles in my English classroom on a daily basis, both as extra credit and team-building exercises. The students love the challenge of solving these puzzles, and the best part: they don't realize they are building vocabulary.



5. The front of the book displays a jumble of 6 words, each comprised of 6 letters. However, out of 180 jumbles, 160 are 4 words, 2 of 5 letters and 2 of 6 letters leaving only 20 jumbles matching the page display. I feel the cover and page display are very misleading and would not recommend it to an adult seasoned jumble enthusiast. I would have appreciated a more accurate description of the contents.

5 comments about The Puzzlemaster Presents: 200 Mind-Bending Challenges (Other).

1. Will Shortz has delighted puzzle lovers world-wide for years. This collection is another excellent offering from the man who has dedicated his life to the pleasure of solving puzzles.If you have neither listened to Will's radio show nor purchased this book,you're missing out on a great opportunity to have a good deal of challenging fun. I still get a kick ( and feel honored) when Will features one of my puzzles on his show because of the way he makes it come to life with his enthusiasm. If you don't know by now, Will Shortz is the master of wordplay. Do yourself, friends, and family a favor. Get this book for hours of good,clean-cut fun and then tune in his show on NPR for more.



2. As a fan of Will Shortz's other puzzle books I was eager to try the puzzles in this volume. There is a good variety ranging from fairly easy to extremely challenging puzzles. The topics are varied with both puzzles and answers presented in an easy to use format. Many puzzle books do not provide adequate space to properly fill in your answers but this book does.



3. If you listen to Will Shortz on Sunday's Weekend Edition, you know what kind of puzzles are in this volume. Half the puzzles are of the type that he conducts with a call-in listener. This usually involves a series of word puzzles with short answers you can come up with on the spot. The other half of the puzzles in The Puzzlemaster Presents are of the sort that he leaves us with to solve during the week. They are harder and have one correct answer.

   The first type of puzzle is fun, but the second type is my favorite because you usually have to do these in your head. I like to keep one or two in mind for occasions like being stuck in traffic or standing in line. They really make the time fly and you don't need pencil and paper. I find they are also great if you have trouble getting to sleep. Concentrating on a tricky word puzzle or arithmetic calculation sure keeps your mind from wandering all over the place.

   And don't look for clever tricks with these puzzles. One thing about Will Shortz is that even though he loves puzzles, he is scrupulously fair. He gives you all the information you will need to solve each problem.




4. I like the variety of puzzles in this book...as opposed to all crossword,etc. One has to figure out the rule before solving the puzzle.



5. I think it's always good to keep your mind challenged. This book is perfect for that.

2 comments about Mensa Challenge Your Brain Math & Logic Puzzles (Mensa).

1. If you love puzzles, this book is a **must have**! This is hands down the best puzzle book I have ever worked. There is a wide variety of puzzles and they are all unique, not your standard logic problems. Prepare to be challenged, these puzzles are definitely for the puzzle solver at heart! What a great mental workout!



2. A great book for those of you who are preparing for a puzzle competition and are looking for an exercise book (as I was when I bought this one). Despite it is only 96 pages, it has a great variety of puzzles, mostly contest types.
   
   There are around 10 to 20 puzzles of each type, and these are:
   
   - Alternate corners
   - Battleships (classic, crowded, hexagonal, minesweeper, numerical, ocean view, semicircular)
   - Corral
   - Deja Vu
   - Dominoes (domino hunt)
   - Eminent domain
   - End View (like ABCD)
   - Fences (including big field fences and pentomino fences)
   - Hex Loops
   - Lighthouses
   - Minesweeper
   - Number place
   - Nurikabe
   - Oxtails
   - Clouds
   - Skyscrapers (only the 'number of buildings' type)
   - Snaky tiles
   - Spiral galaxies
   - Spokes
   - Square Roots
   - Tents
   
   The level of difficulty is pretty good, at least for the puzzles I tried.
   The only drawback is that most of the puzzles are too small, especially the Fences. I've seen books where the puzzles on the answer pages are bigger than these ones. It's not like they are so small that makes it impossible to work them out, but still pretty small. What I'm doing on other books and will on that one too is to scan the puzzles, cut the white spaces and print them back again on larger sheets. This way you are not ruining your book when drawing and erasing and you can print (and solve) certain pages as many times as you like.
   
   Highly recommended.

1 comments about Will Shortz Presents Let's Play Sudoku: Over the Edge (Will Shortz Presents...).

1. Having burned through many multilevel sudoku books and, after the first few, leaving the easier puzzles blank, I'm happy to see the publisher repackage some of the puzzles to produce a book consisting solely of difficult/challenging puzzles. There are 100 of each level in a midsized, lightweight book which is very portable.
   
   Enjoy!

5 comments about The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems.

1. The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems is going to be THE gift to send to your puzzle-loving friends and family. Gardener is a master and a national treasure. Every math teacher should own this book as a resource, and every puzzle-lover should have it for hours of fun.
   
   Deborah Bennett, author of Randomness and Logic Made Easy



2. What a great collection of puzzles. Anyone who likes puzzles SHOULD own this.
   I initially bought this for myself. But my brother-in-law loved it so much (when it arrived) that I gave it to him as a present. Just ordered it for myself again!



3. Martin Gardner is the name that always comes to mind when one thinks of Mathematical Recreations. Anyone who ever read Scientific American magazine will remember his column in every issue. He wrote the column for 25 years;and made puzzle lovers of millions of readers. His fans ran the gamut from those with a very elementary background in mathematics to those with a high degree of knowledge. What he did was to make mathematics something to enjoy and use as a recreational pursuit. Over the years, he wrote about 70 books,many that have been popular for a long time.
   In this book, he has chosen 340 puzzles from his columns of over 25 years. He has selected simple problems as well as medium and difficult. Each problem is supplied with an answer or solution . Often, answers in puzzle books are sketchy;but here we not only get an answer but also a good idea and explanation on arriving at the solution.
   The most interesting thing about this book is that it is geared to all levels of puzzle solvers (OMNIHEURISTS). I am sure that someone who has worked only a few puzzles,and who hasn't,will find many quite easy and in a short time will progress to those with more challenge; due particularly to the answer explanations.At the same time ,those with a lot of experience will find plenty to amuse themselves.
   Along with a pick of some of the best of the columns over the years,Gardner has included 12 of the best brainteasers to have come his way since he stopped writing the column in 1986.
   Also, we are given a list of all the other books that Martin Gardner wrote over the years. Along with that, there is a list of selected titles for those interested in more in the world of Recreational Mathematics.
   If you like Mathematical Recreations or puzzles of any kind ;take a look at this book and you'll surely want to own it.



4. Great collection of thought puzzles, some well known, some highly original.
   
   What I like most is that every problem, from the simplest up to the really difficult, has a twist to it: You may think you immediately see the answer, but there is always something you didn't think of. For example Problem 1.1 (to be seen in the Excerpt when you click on the image of the book): How many dates in a year can be confusing if you don't know whether they are in European notation (28/2/2007) or US (2/28/2007)? Your first thought is "That's easy, just 12x12", until you think a second time.
   
   If you want to train your brain, solve a few of Martin Gardner's puzzles every day. Or just do it to have fun.



5. This is a superb collection of puzzles of all kinds. Anyone experienced or not in the puzzle field should own this book.
   
   Martin Gardner is a guarantee for this book's efficiency, and highly educational and entertaining content. 5/5

5 comments about 1001Sudoku: A Huge Collection of the 21st Century's Hottest Puzzle.

1. I saved the first 500 or so puzzles for my grown daughter, who is just getting into Sudoku, but have spent weeks working through the other 500 puzzles and still have a couple hundred to go. Lots of puzzles for the money.



2. This kept me going for hours. It is very good and has a lot of interesting and unique activities. I liked it.



3. A book that is large enough for even the best couch potatoes! Large print, big enough boxes for notes. Love it!



4. I am hooked on Sudoku and it takes my spare time even if only a couple of minutes. Which is why I rely on the categories, I usually expect Easy to only take me a couple of minutes; even with medium I don't need to take notes. Unfortunately that is not the case with this set of puzzles. In fact, the very first one in the Easy category wasn't that 'easy'. But then some of the hard ones are actually easy.
   
   There are a lot to do and it will be fun. If not for the poor editing I would have rated it 5 stars.



5. I've ordered this book three times - you can keep doing the same puzzles over and over because you'll never remember the solutions!

5 comments about The Ultimate Hidden Picture Puzzle Book (Take a Hidden Picture Challenge).

1. im sure the book is fine for those of us who can read. My 5 and 6 year old children(and myself) prefer the hidden picture books that show the pictures that need to be found, not in words, but actual pictures.
   
   thanks,
   amy



2. I bought this book for son. He was throughly pleased with it. He said it was the greatest!. The puzzles kept him entertained for hours with never any boredom.



3. This book is not for little kids-it is black and white no color at all, not what we expected at all. It is for children who like to color within the lines with thin markers and kids who are old enough to concentrate-likely 10 and over.



4. I have always loved to search for pictures since I was a small child. These books are fun for the entire family.



5. My son and I do one almost every night before bed and he loves it. The pictures are in black and white but that just means that he can color in what he finds.
   
   The only down side I see is that the book doesn't have many puzzles in it.

2 comments about Psychology in Action, Study Guide.

1. The book that I purchased was in excellent condition and was mailed out to me very quickly. I really appreciated the promptness of the order, especially since I have heard stories from friends that they have waited weeks for products. I am very pleased to let everyone know that this seller was great to work with.



2. Arrived quickly and in plenty of time for my daughter to start college. Was in excellent condition too!

5 comments about Speedsolving the Cube: Easy-to-Follow, Step-by-Step Instructions for Many Popular 3-D Puzzles.

1. I taught myself much of the methodology outlined in this book by scrounging around the Internet for various algorithms, etc. Dan Harris' website ([...]) was instrumental in teaching me how to plan ahead, and he's used his skills at creating written tutorials for a very hands-on hobby to write an excellent book.
   
   This book has several advantages over the way that most of us have had to learn our way around the cube. First, it's laid out in a linear fashion, so ideas are introduced to the reader in a very organized way, interspersed with lots of examples. Second, through the format of a published book, a comprehensive set of the many algorithms needed for a complete speedsolving solution are presented in a bound paper copy. This is perfect for someone who wants to carry the book and a cube in their backpack or messenger bag and keep notes about which algorithms are most comfortable, which have been committed to memory, etc. I bought this book specifically for Dan's great presentation of the last layer orientation algorithms, which I have yet to learn. Having all of the algorithms organized in such a thoughtful way, in a medium that I can easily carry with me is exactly what I've needed.
   
   Great work, Dan!



2. This book seems best suited to people who already know how to solve the cube and who would like to find out how to improve their solutions. In my case, I hit a wall with my homebrew solution at about 60 seconds. While 1 minute solves are nice, it's not impressive in a world where a 20 second solve is not terribly competitive. This book seems to have the solution for that. It's too early to claim success, but what I've worked through so far is very good.
   
   Would this book be suitable for a cubing novice? That's a tough call. The book does start from scratch teaching a basic solution, but I feel other resources online are a little clearer for the absolute beginner. However, a dedicated learner could work entirely from the book. Just keep in mind that pace is very quick, and the author doesn't do that much hand holding.
   
   Would this book be suitable for an experienced speed cuber? That's hard to say, since I'm not in that category. If you follow another solving system, the book should be a very easy introduction to the authors strategy. I suspect that no matter where you are, you'll get a few new algorithms and tricks. There's also the 2x2x2, 4x4x4 and 5x5x5 solutions, which ought to provide additional value to the hardcore cuber.
   
   This book is deceptively short. Although it weighs in at barely 160 pages, there's really a lot of content if you work through the material. It's taken a week to work through the first 50 pages, and that's just the intro material. I suspect it will be months, if not years, before I've even come close to exhausting what the book has to offer. In that regard, it's a tremendous value, and I can wholeheartedly recommend the book.



3. I had tried to learn the so-called "speed cubing" methods online and had been completely frustrated. Dan Harris lays it all out perfectly: it is very easy to follow and understand. That doesn't mean that the technique is all that easy to learn: with a massive amount of algorithms to memorize it will certainly be an undertaking of some months before you can claim complete mastery of the CFOP method.
   The sections on the 2x2, 4x4, and 5x5 cubes are also very easy to follow. There is one typo that I found in the 5x5 chapter. The algorithms in Table 8.3, p125 are wrong: they are written (R r) U (R' r') U (R r) (U2 u2) (R' r') (R r) and (R2 r2) U (R2 r2) U (R2 r2) (U2 u2) (R2 r2). I spent a frustrating 10 minutes trying to figure out why I couldn't complete the centers. I found that the correct algoritms are (R r) U (R' r') U (R r) U2 (R' r') and (R2 r2) U (R2 r2) U (R2 r2) U2 (R2 r2).
   At the end of the book there is also a chapter that has algorithms for all sorts of cool patterns that can be applied to an already finished cube.
   This is a great book and no true Rubik's fanatic should be without it!



4. The book is as concise as it can possibly be, but I'm new to "Rubics cube" and it gets a little over my head in places. The learning curve for the algorithms is a little steep, but with enough practice, and dedication it can be a rewarding experience. The book has a wealth of information about record holders, and the invention of "Rubics cube." If you never solve the cube, the book is still worth the money. I bought two of them, so I would have one that hasn't been written in, and manhandled. If you have an interest in the cube, buy the book.



5. While there is a ton of information on the web and YouTube about ways to solve the Rubik's cube, this book distills much of that information into a very concise and easy to learn format that should appeal to a wide range of people. If you just want to learn a beginner's method to solve the cube, you can do that but the book is definitely catered to those who want to go beyond just solving it and teaching how to solve it fast!
   
   I really enjoyed the sections on the 2x2x2, 4x4x4, and 5x5x5 cubes as well and was surprised how easy they were to learn.
   
   I just have two small gripes with the book, both of which have to do with the printing and binding more than the content (which is why I still gave it 5 stars). First, the book has a number of printing errors in it, mostly in the 5x5x5 section. Fortunately if you go to Dan Harris' website he has all the corrections posted. Secondly, it would have been nice to have this book published with spiral binding (even if the book cost more) - it's just impossible to lay it down on a table to look at the algorithms without placing a large heavy object on the book to keep it open.

1 comments about The New York Times Quick and Easy Crossword Puzzles.

1. First off, I will say that I casually do crosswords. I do the New York Times most Mondays and some Tuesdays as they easier than their mid- to late-week counterparts. The New York Times crossword puzzles get increasingly more difficult each day starting on Monday. I am not a super solver, but enjoy working through these puzzles and ones from other newspapers when able.
   
   This collection has crosswords that were originally printed on both Mondays and Tuesdays. The puzzles were just challenging enough for my skill level and knowledge level, but easy enough that I could make considerable progress on the puzzles. I found this book a great way to pass some time while on breaks at work or while watching reruns on television. There are 130 puzzles in this collection so needless to say this book can keep you busy for quite some time. I recommend this book for people who enjoy the thrill of solving crossword puzzles while still being challenged some. These puzzles are not difficult, but they are not a piece of cake, either. Hard-core solvers will probably not find much enjoyment in these puzzles.