The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life
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- Create Date：2022-05-01 08:51:56
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：A.J. Jacobs
- ISBN：0593136713
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
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。
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 that will earn the first reader to crack it a $10，000 prize*--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。
*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY。 U。S。 Residents， 18+。 Ends May 3， 2023。 Additional terms and conditions may apply。 See book for details。
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 that will earn the first reader to crack it a $10，000 prize*--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。
*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY。 U。S。 Residents， 18+。 Ends May 3， 2023。 Additional terms and conditions may apply。 See book for details。
Reviews
Mary
，
I've sometimes wondered about the amount of time I spend doing crossword puzzles and word games （the latest of which， Wordle， has me hooked） but， reading about the obsessive solvers in this book， has put my modest efforts into perspective。 However， here's a very important word to the wise: this is not a good book to read on a Kindle since it requires flipping back and forth between the text and the puzzles and solutions in the back。 I think I would have enjoyed it much more in hardcover form。 I've sometimes wondered about the amount of time I spend doing crossword puzzles and word games （the latest of which， Wordle， has me hooked） but， reading about the obsessive solvers in this book， has put my modest efforts into perspective。 However， here's a very important word to the wise: this is not a good book to read on a Kindle since it requires flipping back and forth between the text and the puzzles and solutions in the back。 I think I would have enjoyed it much more in hardcover form。 。。。more
Kristi Betts
，
I have always been fascinated with puzzles of all kinds， Jacobs presents an interesting insight into a variety of puzzles （jigsaw， crossword， etc。） and the obsession some people have with these mind bending activities。Along with the history and descriptions of the puzzles， Jacobs includes a number of headache inducing puzzles to challenge your minds and to be “curious not furious” while solving。
Allen Adams
，
Full disclosure: I love puzzles。Specifically， I love crossword puzzles。 As a bit of a word nerd， I love the process of working my way through a crossword， bringing together bits of trivia and deft wordplay to steadily fill in that black and white grid。 I am a cruciverbalist at heart。But puzzling is far more than just crossword puzzles。 The world is filled with different sorts of puzzles – riddles and ciphers， cryptics and jigsaws and Rubik’s Cubes， chess problems and Sudoku grids – all with enth Full disclosure: I love puzzles。Specifically， I love crossword puzzles。 As a bit of a word nerd， I love the process of working my way through a crossword， bringing together bits of trivia and deft wordplay to steadily fill in that black and white grid。 I am a cruciverbalist at heart。But puzzling is far more than just crossword puzzles。 The world is filled with different sorts of puzzles – riddles and ciphers， cryptics and jigsaws and Rubik’s Cubes， chess problems and Sudoku grids – all with enthusiastic fans devoting their free time to discerning solutions。A。J Jacobs loves puzzles too。 So much so， in fact that he has written a whole book about them and the people who love them。“The Puzzler: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever， from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life” is a fascinating journey through the puzzling world， a look at the many different varieties of puzzle and the people whose lives are shaped by them。 All of it viewed through the eyes of one very dedicated – and very talented – chronicler。Jacobs connects with iconic figures from the puzzling realm。 He travels the globe， meeting legendary puzzlemakers and competing against some of the most gifted solvers in the world。 And he digs into what it means to solve a puzzle， why we as humans are so fascinated with pushing ourselves toward difficult solutions， deriving pleasure from the intellectual pain。Each chapter of the book is devoted to a different kind of puzzle。 But while these puzzles might be wildly different from one another – as are the people who solve them – they all share that aspirational， inspirational quality。 They want to be solved and we want to solve them， finding a singular solution in a world that sometimes feels a bit too crowded with gray areas。He starts with his first love – crossword puzzles。 His fascination with the form began at a young age; he comes from a family of puzzlers （there’s a lovely anecdote about how crosswords played into his parents’ relationship when they were separated by distance） and has long been a devotee。A self-described word nerd， we venture down a variety of word puzzle paths alongside him over the course of the book。 He digs into the verbal scramblings that are anagrams and the too-rich-for-my-blood crossover complexity of cryptics。 Extending the word nerdery a bit further， we get chapters on riddles and ciphers as well。But puzzles are more than words。There are a couple of chapters that focus on mechanical puzzles。 We spend some times with the foremost practitioners of the Rubik’s Cube， both the traditional cube and the Frankensteinian evolution of the puzzle， with 12-sided “cubes” and cubes whose sides change color as you solve them。 He also spends a lot of time on Japanese puzzle boxes， a world with which I was unfamiliar， but that is absolutely saturated with brilliant craftspeople who have dedicated their lives toward the construction of meticulous and delicate boxes intended to please aesthetically as much as they do intellectually。You might think of jigsaw puzzles and mazes as mere kid stuff， but those genres too have their makers who are as dedicated to the fiendish difficulty of their craft as any。 Even Jacobs concedes he started off as a jigsaw snob before learning just how challenging they can be。And on and on we go。 Jacobs meets with Garry Kasparov to discuss the world of chess problems， one only tangentially connected to the games as it is meant to be played。 He signs up for the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship with his family; they end up as the U。S。 team。 He takes on the legendary Kryptos， a sculpture puzzle located at CIA headquarters in Langley that has yet to be solved in 32 years。 He takes part in the MIT Puzzle Hunt， a puzzle-based scavenger hunt so fiendishly difficult that participating teams enlist as many as 50 people to take part。（One of my favorite chapters is the one simply titled “Infinite Puzzles。” I’m not going to tell you anything else because with a chapter heading like that， I don’t need to。）And interspersed throughout – puzzles。 What？ You didn’t think someone would write a book about puzzles and not include puzzles， did you？Some of the puzzles are pulled from history， offering a chance to see how various types have evolved over the years。 Others are original to the book， with Jacobs teaming up with master puzzlemaker Greg Plishka to build a number of unique puzzles for readers to enjoy。And then， of course， there’s the big one。See， Jacobs – drawing inspiration from the 1979 book “Masquerade，” which contained puzzles that led to a golden rabbit statue that had been buried somewhere in Britain by author Kit Williams – has put a treasure hunt of his own in the pages of “The Puzzler。”Beginning on May 3， a series of puzzles will be released on www。thepuzzlerbook。com。 Those puzzles can only be accessed if you discern the clue hidden within the book’s introduction。 It should be noted that the intro is free to access at the website – no purchase is necessary to play。“The Puzzler” is an exceptional work of stunt nonfiction， a book wherein the author has placed themselves at the center of the story。 It’s a continuation of the long history of participatory journalism – one in which Jacobs has already distinguished himself with earlier works such as the best-selling “The Year of Living Biblically。”But while there’s a gimmickry at play here， the book doesn’t feel reliant on the gimmick。 This is not a stunt for stunt’s sake。 Jacobs is palpably passionate about his subject matter here， making his presence within the narrative not just acceptable but welcome。 It’s impossible not to be swept up in his love of puzzles; we can’t help but experience that joy vicariously through him。 And again， it doesn’t hurt that he’s given us plenty of ways to play along。Indeed， it is the elements of memoir that elevate this book。 By getting to know Jacobs， we’re given yet more insight into the world of puzzlers through the eyes of one of their own。 It is a rich and idiosyncratic realm into which we’re being introduced; luckily， we have a deft and accomplished guide in A。J。 Jacobs。“The Puzzler” is an utter delight， a charming and informative work of nonfiction that evokes both the joys of its subject and the spirit of its author。 If you’ve ever taken a shot at a Sudoku or done an escape room or just spent a few morning minutes with Wordle， you’ll dig this。In short， if the puzzle is what to read next， Jacobs has given you the solution。 。。。more
Ernie
，
I love Jacob’s books。 I was hooked after “the know jt all”。 I don’t love or even like puzzles but this book was fun and informative and optimistic and a delightful distraction。 I didn’t solve any of the puzzles or buy a Rubiks cube afterward but appreciate puzzles more and look forward to the next book。 The enthusiasm of his subjects always comes through and it is infectious。 （I didn’t read the encyclopedia either but I don’t have to because he did it so well ！）。 Thanks AJ ！
Allison
，
An AJ Jacobs book about puzzles？ Its like where the Venn diagram of my hobbies overlap！ I really enjoyed this as a nerd who likes puzzles and history this satisfied an itch I wasn't aware I had。 Sure with an audiobook you lose some of the visual puzzles， but he did an amazing job of using audio only puzzles for listeners。 Always look forward to what he will come out with next。 PS I definitely would have gotten the crossword clue of his name correct！ An AJ Jacobs book about puzzles？ Its like where the Venn diagram of my hobbies overlap！ I really enjoyed this as a nerd who likes puzzles and history this satisfied an itch I wasn't aware I had。 Sure with an audiobook you lose some of the visual puzzles， but he did an amazing job of using audio only puzzles for listeners。 Always look forward to what he will come out with next。 PS I definitely would have gotten the crossword clue of his name correct！ 。。。more
Brad Aronson
，
Thoroughly entertaining。 I enjoyed learning about puzzles and loved the laughs from AJ’s adventures。 I didn’t realize that the Rubik’s Cube was rejected by a dozen companies or that people could solve it at high speeds using only their feet。 I also had no idea how many insane puzzles are out there in the world。 I’m not an avid puzzler， but that wasn’t needed to enjoy this highly engaging and entertaining book。 It’s an excellent read！
Maudaevee
，
I always enjoy A。 J。 Jacobs， he picks such interesting topics and has a great writing style。 I love puzzles and this was such a fun closer look and puzzles and the people in the puzzling world。
Kate
，
I have been a fan of A。J。 Jacobs ever since I read his "The Know-It-All: One Man's Quest to Become the Smartest Man in the World" eighteen （18！！） years ago。 That book is one of my favourites， a go-to comfort book。 Since then， I've read every book A。J。 has written and while I've enjoyed them all to varying degrees， none of them have replaced "The Know-It-All" as my favourite。I just finished "The Puzzler" and while it doesn't replace "The Know-It-All" as my favourite either （we always go back to o I have been a fan of A。J。 Jacobs ever since I read his "The Know-It-All: One Man's Quest to Become the Smartest Man in the World" eighteen （18！！） years ago。 That book is one of my favourites， a go-to comfort book。 Since then， I've read every book A。J。 has written and while I've enjoyed them all to varying degrees， none of them have replaced "The Know-It-All" as my favourite。I just finished "The Puzzler" and while it doesn't replace "The Know-It-All" as my favourite either （we always go back to our first love）， it is a close second。 "The Puzzler" has A。J。's classic writing style - open， breezy and accessible - which really draws me to his books。 His interviews are excellent and I love the way he weaves the interviews with his own personal observations。A。J。 brings a genuine enthusiasm to the projects he undertakes and you can really feel his passion for the subject matter of "The Puzzler。" When he was writing "The Know-It-All" he attended a conference for crossword puzzlers - I wonder if that is where the idea for this book gently germinated。 Personally， I'm not very good at puzzles， so I don't know if I'll attempt to solve the one that he and puzzle-contributor， Greg Pliska， created for this book。 But even if I don't attempt that， I very much enjoyed the various examples of different types of puzzles that he included at the end of each chapter。 There is a great blend of historical puzzles as well as modern - something I thought was a cool idea。 An example of why A。J。 is one of my favourite authors - he likes to give a 360 picture of whatever subject he is deep-diving on。I read this as an ebook （thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC）， but I have pre-ordered it as a hardback so I can attempt some of the crosswords and other puzzles included in the book。"The Puzzler" is a lot of fun and one of A。J。's best works。 It will never replace the "Know-It-All" in my heart， but I can think of several people who will be getting it as a gift this holiday season :）100% recommend！ 。。。more
Jeanne Morigeau
，
Probably 3。5 stars。 It just didn’t strike me as his past books used to。 Maybe it’s a little too niche。 Interesting， but other than the world puzzle competition， not very amusing。 I was happy to learn about Stave puzzles。 Very cool！
Laura Skladzinski
，
I always love AJ Jacobs' witty， sarcastic writing style， and The Puzzler is no exception。 Jacobs explores the world of puzzles， from different types to history， and manages to cover a lot of ground in the variety of the challenges he takes on: from Sudoku， to jigsaws， to escape rooms， to riddles and brainteasers。 As a bonus， he includes a ton of original puzzles for you to try your hand at solving - and there is a contest where you can win $10，000 by being the first to solve all the puzzles in t I always love AJ Jacobs' witty， sarcastic writing style， and The Puzzler is no exception。 Jacobs explores the world of puzzles， from different types to history， and manages to cover a lot of ground in the variety of the challenges he takes on: from Sudoku， to jigsaws， to escape rooms， to riddles and brainteasers。 As a bonus， he includes a ton of original puzzles for you to try your hand at solving - and there is a contest where you can win $10，000 by being the first to solve all the puzzles in the book， which lead you to a mega puzzle！ Highly recommend this to anyone who loves an escape room or puzzles of any kind。 。。。more
Ronald Cheng
，
This was my first Goodreads giveaway win， and I couldn't be more thankful to have had the opportunity to read this book prior to its official release。 As a fan of all kinds of puzzles， I was immediately intrigued by the premise。 I found myself chuckling constantly throughout the book and vigorously tapping the shoulder of my significant other to share new fun puzzle facts I was learning along the way。I've been a fan of A。J。 Jacobs since stumbling upon one of his first books in a Barnes and Noble This was my first Goodreads giveaway win， and I couldn't be more thankful to have had the opportunity to read this book prior to its official release。 As a fan of all kinds of puzzles， I was immediately intrigued by the premise。 I found myself chuckling constantly throughout the book and vigorously tapping the shoulder of my significant other to share new fun puzzle facts I was learning along the way。I've been a fan of A。J。 Jacobs since stumbling upon one of his first books in a Barnes and Noble in 2005， and this book continued to showcase his sense of humor and the fascinating experiments he incorporates into his life。 My only critique is that the book is coming out too soon， and there isn't a chapter on the Wordle craze！ Very enjoyable read。 Would recommend for any puzzle fan！ 。。。more
FloYuki702
，
This book is phenomenal！ So funny and interactive！ I highly recommend people give it a try。 The puzzles are definitely a challenge， but solving even a portion of one feels rewarding。
Melissa B
，
I received this from GoodReads First ReadsA thoroughly unique book。 I did not do the puzzles， but am saving them to complete at later dates。 I never really gave much thought to puzzles - especially the number of different types！ I also never knew that some people are obsessed with puzzles！I have a new understanding of both these people， and the puzzles themselves。
Sarah
，
I'm a longtime fan of A。J。 Jacobs's informative and humorous memoirs， and this doesn't disappoint。 I appreciate that it includes so many puzzles。I received an ARC from NetGalley。 The book will be released on April 26， 2022。 I'm a longtime fan of A。J。 Jacobs's informative and humorous memoirs， and this doesn't disappoint。 I appreciate that it includes so many puzzles。I received an ARC from NetGalley。 The book will be released on April 26， 2022。 。。。more
C。J。 Connor
，
This was an interesting deep dive on what draws people to solving puzzles， along with facts about the most popular and challenging puzzles out there。 I got into jigsaw puzzles during the pandemic and had never thought about why I like them until now。 The parts about the psychology of puzzle-solving struck me， especially the following quote from one of the interviewees: "When you're doing a jigsaw puzzle， there is one right answer。 I find that comforting。。。 virtually every other aspect of the wor This was an interesting deep dive on what draws people to solving puzzles， along with facts about the most popular and challenging puzzles out there。 I got into jigsaw puzzles during the pandemic and had never thought about why I like them until now。 The parts about the psychology of puzzle-solving struck me， especially the following quote from one of the interviewees: "When you're doing a jigsaw puzzle， there is one right answer。 I find that comforting。。。 virtually every other aspect of the world is in shades of gray。 She quotes an article that she once read: 'A jigsaw puzzle won't solve all your problem， but it is a problem you can solve。'" 。。。more
J Wells
，
A。J。 Jacobs always comes up with fun creative books that spark curiosity。 This one is no different。 It did lack cohesiveness but it was interesting reading about all the different histories and creators of the worlds best puzzles。 I read an ebook from Netgalley which is appreciated but not recommended。 You need to buy the book in paper format so you can do the puzzles and mark up the pages。
Jennifer Schultz
，
I've read several of Jacobs's books， and have found them entertaining but occasionally frustrating and bewildering。 This is a great dive into the history of different puzzles， the quirky and unique people involved in competitons/industry/etc， and the popularity of puzzles throughout the ages。 There are also many puzzles-including some original puzzles--throughout the book。Librarians/booksellers: This should be popular with fans of Jacobs's previous books and puzzle fanatics。 Many thanks to Crown I've read several of Jacobs's books， and have found them entertaining but occasionally frustrating and bewildering。 This is a great dive into the history of different puzzles， the quirky and unique people involved in competitons/industry/etc， and the popularity of puzzles throughout the ages。 There are also many puzzles-including some original puzzles--throughout the book。Librarians/booksellers: This should be popular with fans of Jacobs's previous books and puzzle fanatics。 Many thanks to Crown and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
R。L。 Bailey
，
I love Jacob's writing style and his personal reflections can make any topic interesting。 I'll admit I'm not a big puzzle fan， but if you are you'll really love this one。 There are a lot of puzzles included， so if you choose to solve them it'll really be worth your money。 If you came just for the commentary， it was a tad dry for what I expect from Jacobs。 Most of the people he interviewed seem pretty no-nonsense so this lacked the humor you'd normally get。 I love Jacob's writing style and his personal reflections can make any topic interesting。 I'll admit I'm not a big puzzle fan， but if you are you'll really love this one。 There are a lot of puzzles included， so if you choose to solve them it'll really be worth your money。 If you came just for the commentary， it was a tad dry for what I expect from Jacobs。 Most of the people he interviewed seem pretty no-nonsense so this lacked the humor you'd normally get。 。。。more
Georgette
，
A fun book！ Not only the fun of Jacobs' writing， humor， and research， but the added bonus of actual puzzles to fill out。 I had a lot of fun reading this and doing the different puzzles！ A fun book！ Not only the fun of Jacobs' writing， humor， and research， but the added bonus of actual puzzles to fill out。 I had a lot of fun reading this and doing the different puzzles！ 。。。more
Cari
，