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Puzzlers' Tribute: A Feast for the Mind

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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!

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.