The Puzzlemaster Presents: 200 Mind-Bending Challenges (Other) [Paperback]

Will Shortz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 1996 | Series: Other

A collection of 200 word puzzles of infinite variety from NPR's "Puzzlemaster" Will Shortz.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

One of the most popular features of National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Sunday broadcasts have been the seven minutes of puzzling with puzzlemaster Will Shortz. Shortz, former editor of Games magazine and now crossword editor for the New York Times, has compiled 200 of the show's best word games into this collection. About half are short puzzles that may take a bit of thinking to solve. The other half are word games with 10 to 20 parts to work through. Can you find a common, unhyphenated English word that contains all but one of the letters L through V? Can you tell what barbers, roosters, and beehives have in common? How many boys' names can you find concealed in a dime? Will Shortz has scores of such challenges; even faithful listeners of Weekend Edition Sunday may find many of them worth resolving. Those who haven't heard these on-air presentations will find them a welcome source of puzzling entertainment. Shortz is highly skilled at finding and concocting puzzles that are fun, challenging, and amusing.

From the Inside Flap

A collection of 200 word puzzles of infinite variety from NPR's "Puzzlemaster" Will Shortz.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Random House Puzzles & Games; 1st edition (August 27, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812963865
• ISBN-13: 978-0812963861
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.4 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #586,298 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Will Shortz has been crossword editor of The New York Times since 1993. He is also the puzzlemaster on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday and is founder and director of the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Will Shortz fan, January 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Puzzlemaster Presents: 200 Mind-Bending Challenges (Other) (Paperback)

As a fan of Will Shortz's other puzzle books I was eager to try the puzzles in this volume. There is a good variety ranging from fairly easy to extremely challenging puzzles. The topics are varied with both puzzles and answers presented in an easy to use format. Many puzzle books do not provide adequate space to properly fill in your answers but this book does.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars outstanding resource...and lots of fun!, January 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Puzzlemaster Presents: 200 Mind-Bending Challenges (Other) (Paperback)

this book is amazing! i teach middle school (6-7-8) english, and i use these puzzles with my students. they can't get enough! for any fans of the npr sunday morning puzzle, this book is a must.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Puzzles, But No Tricks, January 1, 2004

By 

takingadayoff "takingadayoff" (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Puzzlemaster Presents: 200 Mind-Bending Challenges (Other) (Paperback)

If you listen to Will Shortz on Sunday's Weekend Edition, you know what kind of puzzles are in this volume. Half the puzzles are of the type that he conducts with a call-in listener. This usually involves a series of word puzzles with short answers you can come up with on the spot. The other half of the puzzles in The Puzzlemaster Presents are of the sort that he leaves us with to solve during the week. They are harder and have one correct answer.

The first type of puzzle is fun, but the second type is my favorite because you usually have to do these in your head. I like to keep one or two in mind for occasions like being stuck in traffic or standing in line. They really make the time fly and you don't need pencil and paper. I find they are also great if you have trouble getting to sleep. Concentrating on a tricky word puzzle or arithmetic calculation sure keeps your mind from wandering all over the place.

And don't look for clever tricks with these puzzles. One thing about Will Shortz is that even though he loves puzzles, he is scrupulously fair. He gives you all the information you will need to solve each problem.