Customer Reviews

Absolute Sudoku

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Masha Zager's new puzzle book was recommended to me by a Sudoku guru. I have never tried these puzzles but after seeing everybody on the train toiling away, I thought okay, I'll try. I'm thrilled with this book. The introduction was so informative and clear. Not just "how to" but "how come" and now a new hobby for me and hopefully a few more brain cells will stick a round a little longer than they otherwise might have. Hats off to this author for such an incisive and challenging string of puzzles. Where is volume II?

Typical, good sudoku book. My only complaint is in its design... it makes the boxes more of a wide rectangle, which in itself is nice as it gives you more room to write numbers, but the printer has placed the edge of each puzzle SO close to the center crease of the book that you have to perpetually force the binding apart to comfortably see the far right (or far left depending on which page you are on) column. Personally, this strikes me as idiotic, and a "feature" I was rather disappointed with when I got it. Good puzzles, poor design, I would not buy it again; there are enough options out there that satisfy all needs.

At least two puzzles (128 and 129) have ambiguous solutions, meaning that you waste time trying to find "the" solution only to discover that there isn't "one". Pretty basic flaw for a sudoku puzzle book, since these can be easily checked for this problem. In fact, what else is there to publishing these things besides making sure they have unique solutions? Also, the hardest level (4) is easier than it should be.

I bought this book because I much prefer human-made sudoku to the computer generated variety.

There are two problems with the book from my standpoint.

First, the puzzles are too easy for me. (If you are a relative beginner, I recommend them.)

Second, I found the rectangular (not square) shape difficult to work with. An eye used to square sudoku just has difficulty with scanning the grid.

Still, for someone who is trying to get into sudoku for the first time, this can be a very helpful book.