15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not for the faint of heart..., October 20, 2001
This review is from: The Crossword Obsession: The History and Lore of the World's Most Popular Pastime (Hardcover)
For those who merely dabble in cruciverbalism, this book is best left on the shelf. But for those who've done enough crosswords to know Cathy Millhauser from Nancy Salomon, Merl Reagle from Rich Norris, and especially for the budding constructor, "The Crossword Obsession" is a must-have. Constructors and editors from Will Shortz to Trip Payne to Merl Reagle discuss what they love about crosswords, the favorite themes they've done, editors of the past, and more. Though only one chapter is actually labeled as one on tips for constructors, the entire book -- with the exception of the first few pages, which tell the fascinating history of crosswords -- is a mine of ideas and information for aspiring crossword constructors. Those who are hoping for deep insight into just *why* crosswords are such a popular phenomenon -- after all, why do we solvers enjoy frustration so much as to want to do it again? -- will be disappointed. Those who are fascinated with the business of creating and solving crosswords and wonder how it's done will be more than satisfied.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
fascinating -- but only if you're a true crossword addict, January 7, 2003
I wouldn't call this book particularly well written. There's some history, but the book doesn't provide a long, captivating narrative of the development of the puzzle, or a psychoanalysis of the folks who become addicted to their daily puzzle. Rather, the book is more or less a collection of comments and insight from many of the creators of currently-published crosswords -- how they got into puzzle creation, how they sold their first puzzle, how long it takes them to solve the Sunday NY Times puzzle, etc. The book is behind-the-scenes reality show on crossword puzzles. After reading it, you'll have a good sense of how puzzles are created, how they are edited, what makes a puzzle good, what makes a puzzle bad (or unpublishable), and how the daily crossword puzzle ends up as a final product in your morning newspaper. You'll learn about the preferences of different editors (now I finally know why my collections of NY Times crosswords edited by Will Shortz are SO MUCH MORE FUN TO SOLVE than the NY Times crosswords edited by Eugene Maleska). You'll learn about the evils of "crosswordese" (if you're reading this -- you know what I'm talking about -- words like etui). The book contains biographical shorts of the various crossworders who contributed -- they come from varied backgrounds, from Will Shortz, who majored in crossword puzzles in college (seriously) to dentists and physical therapists and lawyers who got sucked in by their hobby. The book also contains some very good puzzles and their solutions -- though I wouldn't recommend this book if your only interest in in solving puzzles. Overall, a great selection if you want to get to know the clever people and the detailed process that deliver crossword puzzles to the rest of us -- it may be of limited interest to anyone else.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Fun for the Casual Crossword Puzzle Fan!, October 20, 2001
This review is from: The Crossword Obsession: The History and Lore of the World's Most Popular Pastime (Hardcover)
Caution: This book contains coarse words that would never appear in The New York Times crossword puzzle.
Most people who occasionally do crossword puzzles are bound to have certain questions such as:
(1) How are the puzzles constructed?
(2) What do editors do with puzzles submitted to them?
(3) What were the famous puzzle editors like in person?
(4) What do the best puzzle solvers do to make faster progress?
(5) How to solvers prepare for contests?
(6) What reference books do constructors and the best solvers use?
(7) What are the most common short words used in puzzles?
(8) How should unusual clues be interpreted?
(9) How should I attack unusual puzzles?
Those who have wanted to know more about these and many other interesting questions will find many interesting answers from a variety of perspectives in this multifaceted book.
The book contains a fine combination of history, profiles, interviews, answers to common questions by many experts, and perspectives on a variety of crossword puzzles. In addition, you will be pleased to know that the book also provides a number of puzzles and answers to entertain you. For some of the famous puzzles, there are also comments about the puzzle by the constructor.
My favorite part was the section on how to construct puzzles, with many references to computer programs and on-line resources to help. I have always wanted to try my hand at a puzzle, and this shows me the basic elements. I'm sure it will be very difficult, but personally rewarding.
You will also find a good appendix on various resources, suggested readings, a glossary, a brief summary of factoids about words that appear frequently, and biographies and photographs of constructors and editors.
The tone of the book is very down to earth. You will learn about the mistakes, blind spots, and foibles of those involved with crossword puzzles, as well as their successes. It almost felt like reading a series of People magazine issues just on crossword puzzles.
This book will be a favorite gift over the next year or so for those who enjoy puzzles, but have not read very much about them.
After you finish puzzling your way through this book to greater understanding of how to enjoy crossword puzzles, I suggest that you think about how they could be changed to become even more fun? What's missing, from your point of view? What is there too much of?
Whether you use a pen or a pencil to solve puzzles, keep your mind open to all the possibilities!
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