I spent a year following all the rules of the Bible as literally as possible, from obeying the Ten Commandments to growing a huge Moses-like beard. I wrote about religion in a book called The Year of Living Biblically, which is exactly what it sounds like. As a nonfiction writer whose mission is to immerse myself in my topics, I like nothing better than diving deep into a subject. The thing is, I’ve always preferred researching my books to writing them. But I’m a puzzle addict, and I’m good at self-delusion. Was this useful research that would yield insightful passages in my book? No. It’s research, after all!” After I finished that, I’d say, “Maybe I should also do the crossword from The Week.” This went on for hours every day. But after finishing one from the Wall Street Journal, I’d tell myself, “Well, I should probably do the crossword from New York Magazine too. I’d start my morning of “work” by doing a crossword puzzle. When I decided to write a book on the history, joy and science of puzzles, it meant my research would consist of, in part, doing puzzles all day-crosswords, Sudoku, jigsaws, mazes, logic puzzles. I’ve been a puzzle nerd since childhood, when I’d spend my days poring over Games magazine and drawing huge pencil mazes that filled up my living room. Read our starred review of ‘The Puzzler’ by A.J. The trouble was that I loved the topic too much. This may not seem like a problem at first glance, but it turned out to be a huge challenge. Second, I love the subject matter of my book. I much prefer, as Dorothy Parker quipped, having written.
By which I mean, the actual act of writing: sitting in a room alone, hunched over the keyboard, struggling through sentence after sentence with no feedback for weeks or months. First, like most writers, I hate writing. I say “only” because, honestly, I’m shocked I finished writing this book at all. I was only six months late turning in The Puzzler to my publisher. But don’t despair the answers are in the back. Jacobs’ wonderful book reminds us that puzzles help us to be present in the moment and connect with others on the same journey.Ī final note: The Puzzler would make a fabulous gift as a physical copy simply because it includes original puzzles by Greg Pliska for readers to solve.
Readers also meet crossword maker Peter Gordon, who, when asked why he thinks we’re addicted to puzzles, replied, “Well, life is a puzzle.” Indeed, as the late Maki Kaji, often known as the father of Sudoku, believed, puzzles are a journey. Along the way, Jacobs meets and interviews some fascinating puzzle lovers, including Jeff Varasano, who created his own algorithms to solve a Rubik’s Cube as a teenager back in 1980, and a young woman named Sydney Weaver, a “speedcuber” whose cubing has helped her with pediatric arthritis. The Puzzler isn’t simply Jacobs’ personal journey, however it’s also an exploration of the history of puzzles and their role in society. “And sometimes there’s terror,” Jacobs writes, speaking of the creeping fear that getting stuck portends mental decline. Frankly, it’s not all enjoyment there’s frustration, drama, despair and even humiliation. He’s also honest about the emotions involved in puzzle-solving. He admits to knowing the exact time the New York Times crossword puzzle appears online each day. Jacobs covers a wide variety of puzzles, including anagrams, mazes, math and logic puzzles, Rubik’s Cubes, Sudoku, riddles, ciphers and, of course, crosswords-his first love. Jacobs shares how he solved the hardest puzzle yet: motivating himself to finish writing ‘The Puzzler.’ However, Jacobs may find his name appearing in clues more often as puzzle lovers old and new discover this timely and entertaining exploration of why we love (and, yes, often become addicted to) all sorts of puzzles-from the word puzzle books we gobbled up in childhood, to jigsaw puzzles on card tables during family summer vacations, to the world’s recent embrace of a simple daily word game. So, not a household name just yet, just an obscure clue. He’d made it to the big time! But, alas, it was a Saturday puzzle, one of the hardest of the week. Jacobs ( The Know-It-All) shares the euphoria he felt upon learning that his name was featured as a clue in a New York Times crossword puzzle. In the introduction to his new book, The Puzzler: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, From Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life, journalist, bestselling author and invenerate puzzler A.J. With their capacity to entertain, challenge and provide a distraction from the stresses of daily life, puzzles have found a wider audience than ever before. Puzzles are big news-and big business-these days.