A Brief History of Puzzles : 120 of the World's Most Baffling Brainteasers from the Sphinx to Sudoku

From ancient riddles to modern Sudoku, people have been fascinated by puzzles. Whether they are seen as a glorious waste of time, a harmless way to spend a train journey or a valuable way of exercising the mind, the lure of puzzles has been irresistible. By using over 100 examples of the most mindbending, the most challenging, the most satisfying, or simply the most humorous puzzles throughout the ages, William Hartston traces the development of brainteasers of all varieties and the increasing ingenuity of puzzle setters from ancient civilizations to modern puzzle crazes. From ancient riddles to modern Sudoku, people have been fascinated by puzzles. Whether they are seen as a glorious waste of time, a harmless way to spend a train journey or a valuable way of exercising the mind, the lure of puzzles has been irresistible. By using over a hundred of examples of the most mindbending, the most challenging, the most satisfying, or simply the most humorous of puzzles throughout the ages, William Hartston traces the development of brainteasers of all varieties and the increasing ingenuity of puzzle setters from ancient civilisations to modern puzzle crazes. From Ancient Riddles To Modern Sudoko, People Have Been Fascinated By Puzzles. Whether They Are Seen As A Glorious Waste Of Time, A Harmless Way To Spend A Train Journey Or A Valuable Way Of Exercising The Mind, The Lure Of Puzzles Has Been Irresistible. By Using Over 100 Examples Of The Most Mindbending, The Most Challenging, The Most Satisfying, Or Simply The Most Humorous Puzzles Throughout The Ages, William Hartston Traces The Development Of Brainteasers Of All Varieties And The Increasing Ingenuity Of Puzzle Setters From Ancient Civilizations To Modern Puzzle Crazes. Acknowledgements 0 Primeval Puzzle Prelude 1 Medieval Maths, Mysteries and Merriment 2 Parisian Perplexities, Problems and Posers 3 The Great Victorian Puzzlers 4 Puzzles Worthy of the Name 5 More Word Puzzles 6 The Logic of Hats 7 The Most Baffling Logic of All 8 Weights, Measures, Speed 9 Psychological Puzzles 10 Miscellaneous and Mysterious The Prize Puzzle Solutions A mindbending history of the greatest puzzles of all time, by the author of The Things That Nobody Knows.