Customer Reviews

Games Magazine Presents Will Shortz's Best Brain Busters (Other)

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Ok, maybe it wasn't sexy, but seriously, this is an awesome book. It is challenging, but without being too hard. It has many creative puzzles, some that I have never even seen before. There are also some well-known puzzle types, which I thought was a good thing. Think you are good at those newspaper crossword puzzles? You haven't seen anything yet! These puzzles are very fun, and it is a great deal better than sitting around and watching television. It is also a good way to pass the time. I honestly think this is a great book, and, in no way, a waste of money. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone.

I just purchased this book, and I am enjoying it for the most part. I believe Mr. Shortz has a great gift for creative and thoughtful word puzzles. I have to say, however, that I'm a little frustrated with the arcane vocabulary some of the puzzles require. One of the reasons I don't do crosswords is because I never learned what "oleo" was - nor do I care. I love thoughtful puzzles that you can do without a dictionary. Unfortunately, the second puzzle in this book drove me to using my grandfather's 1960 unabridged RH dictionary. Lugging that thing up onto the couch can undermine the recreation feel of the activity. On the second puzzle, however, I discover that my dictionary doesn't have the word/acronym NGITIC (a type of tank apparently). You get my point. I love a book of puzzles that requires only a strong vocabulary and a decent degree of cultural literacy. I think Will Shortz's "Puzzlemaster Presents" series are a good example of this. I have also enjoyed puzzles like these by Pat Battaglia ("Are You Smart, Or What?"). These are very clever and they don't require outside resources to provide creative critical thinking fun.