"There is mental entertainment, magic, math, and more in this collection of classic tricks and problems."-Student Library Journal. Although referring to Townsend's 'The World's Most Challenging Puzzles,' this quote is applicable to his entire puzzle cannon. If you enjoy pitting yourself against the most challenging puzzles in existence and are a glutton for punishment, then one or all of these books are for you. Take your pick among 'The World's Trickiest,' 'Most Perplexing,' 'Most Incredible,' 'Greatest,' 'Most Amazing,' 'Most Baffling,' 'Most Challenging,' and 'Best.' Choose from any of the eight, or all eight, and see how you stand up against Charles Barry Townsend-'the Professor of Perplexing Puzzles." 128 pages, 100 b/w illus., 5 3/8 x 8 1/4.
What a bargain! At more than 700 puzzle-packed pages, this huge, value-priced collection should keep any solver happy...and busy for a very long time. It contains brain-busting challenges of almost every type: math logic problems for the numerically inclined; absolutely amazing lateral thinking conundrums; really great critical thinking bafflers; and mind-boggling word puzzles. Here's just a small sample of what's inside: The 22nd and 24th presidents of the United States had the same mother and the same father, but were not brothers. How could this be so? Stumped? That's because it's one man--Grover Cleveland--who was reelected after skipping a term. And that's just an easy warm-up!
This is not really a book. This is a building in the shape of a book...a maze. Each numbered page depicts a room in the maze. Tempted? Test your wits against mine. I guarantee that my maze will challenge you to think in ways you've never thought before. But beware. One wrong turn and you may never escape!
The New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically goes on a rollicking journey to understand the enduring power of puzzles: why we love them, what they do to our brains, and how they can improve our world. “Even though I’ve never attempted the New York Times crossword puzzle or solved the Rubik’s Cube, I couldn’t put down The Puzzler.”—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before Look for the author’s new podcast, The Puzzler, based on this book! What makes puzzles—jigsaws, mazes, riddles, sudokus—so satisfying? Be it the formation of new cerebral pathways, their close link to insight and humor, or their community-building properties, they’re among the fundamental elements that make us human. Convinced that puzzles have made him a better person, A.J. Jacobs—four-time New York Times bestselling author, master of immersion journalism, and nightly crossworder—set out to determine their myriad benefits. And maybe, in the process, solve the puzzle of our very existence. Well, almost. In The Puzzler, Jacobs meets the most zealous devotees, enters (sometimes with his family in tow) any puzzle competition that will have him, unpacks the history of the most popular puzzles, and aims to solve the most impossible head-scratchers, from a mutant Rubik’s Cube, to the hardest corn maze in America, to the most sadistic jigsaw. Chock-full of unforgettable adventures and original examples from around the world—including new work by Greg Pliska, one of America’s top puzzle-makers, and a hidden, super-challenging but solvable puzzle—The Puzzler will open readers’ eyes to the power of flexible thinking and concentration. Whether you’re puzzle obsessed or puzzle hesitant, you’ll walk away with real problem-solving strategies and pathways toward becoming a better thinker and decision maker—for these are certainly puzzling times.
Packed with dozens of the most difficult Hidden Pictures puzzles Highlights has ever created, this book is perfect for advanced puzzlers ages 8-12 looking for a next-level challenge! This jam-packed collection includes over 80 advanced Hidden Pictures puzzles, including photo puzzles, puzzles without clues, puzzles with scrambled clues and more. A great gift for anyone who loves a puzzle challenge, this engaging activity book is filled with more than 1,500 total objects to find. Kids (and grown-ups, too) will need to keep their eyes peeled searching through hilarious scenes like sloths playing ping pong, dogs enjoying a fiesta, and a fishy carnival. There are both full-color and classic black-and-white scenes to solve. Over 125 pages of puzzles adds up to hours of screen-free fun, great for keeping kids engaged during road trips or rainy afternoons at home. Plus, this book is crafted by puzzle experts to include learning benefits parents can count on. Searching for hidden objects is a great way for kids to develop important school skills like vocabulary, concentration and visual perception. Every puzzle solved will boost kids’ confidence and encourage them to take on new challenges.
Get smart--give your brain a super-sized workout that's fun, challenging, and mind-expanding! You'll really have to keep your wits about you as you tackle six big sections filled with puzzles and tricks of every sort, from the visual to the verbal. Try critical thinking and lateral thinking questions, where you'll have to "work outside the box," forget your assumptions, and look at the problem from a fresh viewpoint. Whodunits have all the pleasures of a mystery--but you're the detective trying to figure it out! Be "number one" at math conundrums, and open your eyes and look sharp when you tackle the picture puzzles and optical illusions. Give this a shot and find out if you can be a "toothpick architect"! Build a house using 11 toothpicks as shown in the diagram. See if you can make the house face the opposite direction by moving only one toothpick. Answer: Move one of the toothpicks in the roof.
Put together this 1000 piece family puzzle from Mudpuppy to reveal "Your World." The completed puzzle features a vibrant and playful assortment of animals on a world map. The pieces come packaged in a sturdy box, perfect for gifting, reuse, and storage. - 1000 pieces - Assembled puzzle measures: 20 x 27" (25 x 68.6 cm) - Package measures: 8.25 x 11.25 x 2" (25.7 x 21.6 x 5 cm) - Contains small parts: not suitable for children under 3 - Puzzle greyboard contains 90% recycled paper. Packaging contains 70% recycled paper. Printed with nontoxic inks
Mathematical dupes, sleights of hand, shady shuffles, and impossible predictions: these are just a few of the 80 ways to use a pack of cards to dazzle and baffle everyone.