Puzzlers' Tribute: A Feast for the Mind [Hardcover]

David Wolfe (Editor), Tom Rodgers (Editor), Authur Clarke (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1568811217 | ISBN-13: 978-1568811215 | Publication Date: December 1, 2001

This second collection of interesting mathematical puzzles continues the tribute to Martin Gardner, who has provided us with original puzzles and puzzling stories ever since he created and produced the "Mathematical Games" column in Scientific American. The international community of puzzle enthusiasts has gathered once again to celebrate Martin Gardner's continued contribution and, most fittingly, has done so in kind, by providing new challenges to our inquiring minds. We proudly present this collection to the mathemagicians of the world for their enjoyment, as a playful provocation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

" "". . . even well-known puzzles retain their power, as was made clear again and again last month at the seventh ""Gathering for Gardner."" These conferences of mathematicians, puzzlers, game-players and magicians at the Ritz-Carlton here began as personal tributes to Martin Gardner, Scientific American's legendary Mathematical Games columnist, and now take place without the master's presence (he is 91). During four days of talks and tricks, the oldest puzzles mixed freely with the newest."" -Edward Rothstein, The New York Times , April 2006
""This presents an incredible range of beautiful material, witty ideas, tantalising puzzles, intriguing problems, and surprising ingenious solutions. Anyone interested in mind-boggling problems will find plenty to interest them here."" -EMS Newsletter, November 2003"

Product Details

• Hardcover: 420 pages
• Publisher: A K Peters/CRC Press (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568811217
• ISBN-13: 978-1568811215
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,155,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Magic & Illusion

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, varied, challenging, and fun leisure reading, April 10, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Puzzlers' Tribute: A Feast for the Mind (Hardcover)

Collaboratively edited by David Wolfe and Tom Rodgers, Puzzlers' Tribute: A Feast For The Mind is an amazing compilation of classic brain teasers collected from all walks of science, mathematics, and verbal riddles to test the reader's thinking skills to their highest degree. Each puzzle is not only proffered, but comes with a detailed explanation as to the true nature of the problem, as well as a step-by-step solution. Highly recommended for mathematicians, magicians, and puzzle enthusiasts, Puzzlers' Tribute is amazing, varied, challenging, and fun leisure reading guaranteed to give its readers an itch for pencil and paper to work the problems out for themselves!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understated title, great material, October 27, 2004

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Puzzlers' Tribute: A Feast for the Mind (Hardcover)

If there were superlatives that have not yet been applied to Martin Gardner, then I would use them here. While most know him as an excellent writer of mathematics, many know him as a conduit of knowledge in mathematics, puzzles and magic, a role that has earned him many close friends. This book is a collection of problems, puzzles and other assorted exercises for the mind that were written as part of the gatherings for Gardner (G4Gs). The fourth took place in February, 2000 and unfortunately, also had to include tributes to some who had passed on.
As befits his stature among everyone engaged in the pursuit of mathematics, puzzles and magic, the entries in this book are the best. The range is also consistent with the enormous variety of interests that Gardner has. There are seven sections in the book:

The Toast: Tributes, remembrances of those who have passed.
Tantalizing Appetizers: Challenges for the Reader, a series of quickie puzzles.
Smoked Ham: A Course in Magic, explanations of some basic magic tricks.
Chef's Caprice, some amusing stories that involve wordplay.
Wild Game (and Puzzles), some truly diabolical puzzles.
Mathematical Entrees, some longer papers on mathematics.
Mathematical Treats, short papers with a mathematical bent.

If you are a recreational mathematician or puzzler, then this is a book you must read. For the first time in my life, I laughed when I read a math book.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.