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The 15 Puzzle Book: How it Drove the World Crazy Hardcover – June 1, 2006

by Jerry Slocum (Author), Dic Sonneveld (Author)

3 customer reviews

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The 15 Puzzle Book contains an illustrated history of one of the most popular and important mechanical puzzles of all time. It can be argued that the 15 Puzzle in 1880 had the greatest impact on American and European society of any mechanical puzzle the world has ever known. Books by famous mathematicians tell that a deaf mute invented the 15 Puzzle but other sources claim it was invented by Sam Loyd, who Martin Gardner called, "America's greatest puzzle designer." Or has Sam Loyd, who claimed to invent the puzzle, continued to fool the world for more than 100 years?

The true story of the puzzle is told here for the first time:
- The real inventor and his patent application records were found.
- The story of how the puzzle came to be manufactured.
- Proof that the 15 Puzzle is mathematically impossible to solve.
- How a young New Yorker solved it.
- The worldwide puzzle craze that it created.

The 15 Puzzle Book: How it Drove the World Crazy

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Product Details

Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Slocum Puzzle Foundation (June 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1890980153
ISBN-13: 978-1890980153
Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #789,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #297 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Math Games
- #1673 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Puzzles

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Exhaustively researched and documented history of a social craze

By Charles Ashbacher HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on June 12, 2006

Format: Hardcover

In the late nineteenth century, the Fifteen Puzzle became an international craze. It is a simple puzzle made of square blocks, labeled with the numbers 1 through 15. They are placed in a flat container with room for 16 squares, which leaves one cell empty. Without lifting a block out of the container, the player is to rearrange the blocks into a different pattern.

The great puzzle master Sam Loyd claimed to have invented the Fifteen Puzzle and that claim has stood largely unchallenged for 115 years. Slocum and Sonneveld have conducted extensive research, exhaustively exhuming every mention of the puzzle that they could find. Loyd did not invent the puzzle, but to learn the name of the inventor, you will have to read the book.

A great deal of the book is devoted to short blurbs from newspapers that mention the Fifteen Puzzle. By themselves, they are not terribly interesting. What I found most interesting were the graphs that display the spread of the puzzle across the United States. The graphs are based on the number of times the Fifteen Puzzle is mentioned in the newspapers of the cities. It started in Boston, Massachusetts and ends in Helena, Montana.

This book is a complete history of the Fifteen Puzzle and several proofs of the conditions that allow for solutions are also included. It also documents how the puzzle started a craze, where so many people worked at it to the exclusion of many other aspects of their lives. If you are interested in puzzles, history, fads or group social behaviors, this is a book that you can read and enjoy.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Slocum comes up with another winner!

By Jerry Guild on June 6, 2006

Format: Hardcover

Whenever you see Jerry Slocum and any of his associates,in this case Dic Sonneveld,involved in something; you can count on it being First Class.

This new book is simply delightful for any puzzle lover. They take one of the most common of all puzzles,The 15 Puzzle,and show that it has a background that arguably makes it the most popular puzzle craze of all time.

The book is a great read,filled with everything about the puzzle; from its creation,and how it took the whole world by storm. Much of what the book covers is unknown to many who love puzzles and have seen this puzzle from the days we first became interested in them. Most of us had never imagined what an intriguing history it has had.

Their search of everything written about the puzzle would take many years for one to attempt on their own; but here in this book,they give it all to us to enjoy.

The book is loaded with excellent and rare photos and illustrations of the people,newspaper clippings,and puzzles from the worlds finest collections. They have run down all the legends and things said about the puzzle over the years and sorted out the fact from fiction; a major puzzle in itself.

They show why the puzzle,with all the tiles in their proper locations,except for 14 and 15 reversed; cannot be solved. This was the problem that created the frenzy in 1880; and made it "The Greatest Puzzle of All Time".

The book also includes several puzzle arrangements to challenge you; along with solutions.

There are excellent references at the back which will be a treasure for anyone who wants to dig further.Read more ›

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An excellent resource on a great puzzle

By Steven Faas on July 13, 2011

Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase

I agree with the previous reviewers on the content of the book. It is very informative and provides a wealth of details and little known facts about the puzzle and it's real inventor. This is an absolutely beautiful book from the cover to the abundance of pictures and art of the fifteen puzzle. It is richly illustrated. I was a little hesitant to buy it at first because of the price but I am very glad I did. The history is interesting and it's a great addition to my collection of puzzles and puzzle books. I've since bought other puzzle books by Jerry Slocum, one of the best is The Cube. If you're interested in puzzles and their history you can't go wrong with Jerry Slocum's books.

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