{"product_id":"the-puzzler-one-mans-quest-to-solve-the-most-baffling-puzzles-ever-from-crosswords-to-jigsaws-to-the-meaning-of-life-9780593136737","title":"The Puzzler: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Year of Living Biblically\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Even though I've never attempted the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e crossword puzzle or solved the Rubik's Cube, I couldn't put down \u003ci\u003eThe Puzzler\u003c\/i\u003e.\"--Gretchen Rubin, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Happiness Project\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBetter Than Before\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLook for the author's new podcast, \u003ci\u003eThe Puzzler, \u003c\/i\u003e based on this book!\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhat 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 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Puzzler, \u003c\/i\u003e 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--\u003ci\u003eThe Puzzler\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e A. J. Jacobs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Crown Publishing Group (NY)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/25\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 368\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.75lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.20h x 5.40w x 1.00d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780593136737","brand":"Crown Publishing Group (NY)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42453961113737,"sku":"9780593136737","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0636\/9240\/6921\/files\/img_05c6c382-1247-420e-bf17-0f615b7d76f2.jpg?v=1716027042","url":"https:\/\/sonsanddaughtersbooks.com\/products\/the-puzzler-one-mans-quest-to-solve-the-most-baffling-puzzles-ever-from-crosswords-to-jigsaws-to-the-meaning-of-life-9780593136737","provider":"Sons and Daughters Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}