Conundrums: Typographic Conundrums [Hardcover]

Harry Pearce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 2009

Conundrum is a mind-stretch. Encrypting idioms into their typographic equivalents, Harry enlivens our everyday language and challenges readers to see that "time after time after time" or, at least, "more often than not" "the writing is on the wall." For fans of word puzzles, sudoku, crosswords, and all manner of mind games, Conundrum offers an artfully packaged, cleverly designed new challenge.

Drawing upon, literally in this case, graphic puzzles that he began creating as a child, Harry's developed over 100 witty conundrums for this book that will stretch the mind as well as delight the senses. A member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale, a frequent lecturer and contributor to design discourse, an internationally recognized leader in design, and a founder of Lippa Pearce, one of the UK's most respected design agencies, Harry refines the way we see and communicate. Conundrum achieves nothing less than changing how we understand and interact with language.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Harry Pearce studied graphic design at Canterbury College of Art and moved to London in 1982. In 1990, he co-founded Lippa Pearce Design, one of the UK's most respected design agencies. He joined Pentagram's London office as partner in 2006. Harry's work touches many disciplines, from spatial design and identity to print, packaging and posters. He is dedicated to supporting human rights and has produced pro-bono work for charities, including the award-winning "Infantry" and "Burma" posters. Harry has won numerous national and international design awards, is a frequent lecturer, and was elected to the Alliance Graphic Internationale (AGI) in 2005.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: It Books (December 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061826596
• ISBN-13: 978-0061826597
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #352,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lateral thinking word puzzles, January 7, 2010

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Conundrums: Typographic Conundrums (Hardcover)

While these are generally not my favorite type of puzzle, I like this book a lot. I haven't been able to solve all the puzzles and I'll try to resist looking at the answers for those I can't solve. That way, I can have another try in a few weeks or a few months, perhaps after I've lent the book to relatives to try out.

The puzzles take the form of words (and occasionally numbers) arranged in various ways, printed normally or backwards and sometimes rotated. Sometimes words may be broken or crossed out. A maximum of three colors are used throughout the book, these being black, white and orange. The solutions to the puzzles are supposed to be well-known phrases, but I can't confirm if they all are as I don't know all the answers. Also, it's worth noting that this is a British book, so some of the phrases may not be common elsewhere in the world.

Unlike another reviewer, I'm not going to give you any answers, but here are some example puzzles that give you an idea of what to expect.

Puzzle 19

HE

ADA

CHE

Puzzle 31

666666

777777

Puzzle 58

"SHOP"

Puzzle 90

COMPANY

COMPANY

CROWD

CROWD

CROWD

Those are ones that I found easy but I'm not going to tell you about the puzzles I haven't solved in case you tell me the answers.

3.0 out of 5 stars Expect a hard time for a soft subject, June 18, 2011

By 

Robin Benson - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Conundrums: Typographic Conundrums (Hardcover)

A reasonable title to dip into when using the smallest room in the house. A nice mixture of easy and sort of hard conundrum solving though as the author/designer is British I doubt that readers here will solve every one unless they are really clued into Brit colloquialisms, still, it's fun trying.

I was intrigued by the publisher, on the back cover, listing the book as Art/Design though as it only has boxes of large display type on most pages I guess it's correct. The design aspect of the pages, I thought, really let the book down, so three stars. The editorial contents are a bit of fun and froth yet the layout is cold and rigid. Using just one type, the AG Old Face (a contemporary version of the decades old Berthold Akzidenz-Grotesk) in one weight and printed in black and orange doesn't create a light feeling.

The author gives thanks to Alan Fletcher at the start of the book. He was a great designer and one of founders of Pentagram and if he had designed this book with the same content it would sparkle with bit bits of whimsy and lovely graphic surprises on each page.

The book, unfortunately, is a good example of contemporary hard edge design and rather unsuitable for the soft, lighthearted editorial.

+++LOOK INSIDE THE BOOK by clicking 'customer images' under the cover.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Job Harry, February 23, 2010

By 

Claude W. Diamond "Claude 'The Mentor' Diamond" (Winter Park, Colorado or San Diego, CA or Maui HI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Conundrums: Typographic Conundrums (Hardcover)

Just a fun puzzle book for those of us who love the frame game style puzzles. Great job harry.Thank you. Do some more conundrum books please

Claude Diamond