Average customer rating:
- Enticing mystery
- Beautiful and atmospheric
- WHY did I ever lend this book out?
- A fascinating, if not exactly stupefying, puzzle
- Why arn't you people reprinting this book!
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The Egyptian Jukebox: A Conundrum
Nick Bantock
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
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Binding: Hardcover
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Windflower: A Novel
ASIN: 0670849448 |
Customer Reviews:
Enticing mystery.......2007-09-15
In the tradition of Nick Bantock, it is an artful mystery more complex than many of his other works (all of which I intend to collect). It is short and combines both the metaphysical and curious ancient artifacts from other cultures. I am taken on a journey and led to think of possible connections between the items. I am sure I will reread this work many times. Each time finding something new. It's a journey in intimate archeology. I wonder what someone would think of me if they looked through my life's souveniers?
Beautiful and atmospheric.......2005-09-12
For those of you trying to get hold of this (as of 2005) out of print volume, I recommend ebay or abebooks. I paid only US$12 for a very nice used copy and I treasure it.
From an artistic point of view it's really a breathtaking little volume. Bantock really does put a lot of care and thought into his constructions and collages and you can spend hours examining them (as an engineer I like that sort of art!)
I did cheat and look up the answer, but for puzzle fans I would recommend sticking with it a while. I did notice that all the drawers had different patterns on the edges which appeared to be coordinates, and figured out that Ln and Wd meant lenght and width, but besides that some of the clues were truly puzzling. But then I worked on Riven for weeks and finally had to look up a cheat to finish it...
In any case, as popular as Bantock's other works are I am surprised that it hasn't been reprinted recently. If I am decoding the publishers page correctly I think that mine is a third printing, but that is not a negative since I enjoy the book collectible or not.
WHY did I ever lend this book out?.......2003-07-07
It was never returned, and I mourn its absence.
To me, The Egyptian Jukebox is the "Myst" of book puzzles. With a central theme that mixes Egyptology with Rock & Roll, woven together with intriguing little trinkets, cryptic narration, and a deceivingly simple riddle to solve ("Where do my worlds join?"), it will draw in anyone who ever dreamed of solving an ancient mystery or unearthing a lost treasure.
Many with short attention spans will discard The Egyptian Jukebox before long. There are no instructions explaining how to even begin. But if you are a creative thinker and problem solver (and perhaps just a little obsessive), this puzzle will be both amusing and rewarding. The solution will amuse you, but like a favorite novel, will leave you wishing that the book never came to an end.
A fascinating, if not exactly stupefying, puzzle.......2000-07-01
If you enjoy puzzles which carefully interweave illustration and prose, this is a good pick. The puzzle is challenging enough not to be boring, but it's not mind-numbingly hard like some others (notably Christopher Manson's "Maze," the only book of this genre I've liked better than this one). The illustrations are beautiful, and the aura of enigma created by the puzzle enticing. The only drawback I would cite is that once you make a certain intuitive leap in the puzzle's trickery, a bit of busy work lies before you to finish. But reaching that leap is reward enough. A good pick, if you can track it down.
Why arn't you people reprinting this book!.......2000-03-18
I want to read this book very much but it has told me the same this for months, that it is not avalible! If any one knows where to get this book else where email me! locust@snet.net
Book Description
“The most entertaining logician and set theorist who ever lived” (Martin Gardner) gives us an encore to The Lady or the Tiger?-a fiendishly clever, utterly captivating new collection of 225 brainteasers, puzzles, and paradoxes.
Customer Reviews:
Some hard some simple.......2007-01-06
Some of the puzzles are really great brainteasers a few of them are pretty simple....
The value of logic, or the illogic of value?.......2005-08-31
This book, by a well-known poser of puzzles, sets out of the order of a thousand logic puzzles in a format loosely styled upon the presentation of Scheherazade, but in a somewhat less entrancing way. The problem with logic is that there is just so much of it about. Perhaps the axiom 'less is more' might have been applied and some judicious excision of the more mechanical or repetitious examples been performed. The jewels are lost amongst the glass beads. Obviously by its nature mathematical logic eschews value judgements, but in the present case this seems to have been taken rather too literally.
Good book---too much algebra.......2004-09-01
This book is a good source of riddles, old and new. Unfortunately, a lot of the riddles are just basic algebra problems... and that's not very fun. But if you skip (or quickly work out) the silly algebra riddles, there are still a lot of other interesting riddles. And also there's a neat way to prove Gauss's summing rule in this book.
Also, I was looking for an errata for this book, but I couldn't find one, so I will just mention here that the answer to number 71 is incorrect. But, if you just remove the last sentence from the answer, then it is right.
Better than Sam Loyd!.......2004-07-27
This is probably the best book on logic puzzles ever written (aside from other Smullyan books, that is). It is witty, challenging, and has problems of all kinds. The first half is framed as a continuation to the Arabian Nights, with ingenious and original puzzles (aside from the occasional oldy snuck in) given an Arabian touch.
However, after those brilliant puzzles comes the greatest part of the book. The second half is a collection of puzzles, paradoxes, and even has a couple of chapters on coercive logic, invented by Raymond Smullyan himself.
I reccomend this book to any logic buff, or indeed to anyone who's ever enjoyed a logic puzzle. And if you don't fall into either category, then you need this book all the more.
The only logic book you'll ever need.......2001-02-02
Seeing my frustration at being thoroughly unchallenged in logic in my math class at school, my mom bought me this book. I owe her one. There are coercive logic puzzles, easy but sneaky riddles, and math games. There are liar/truthteller problems to keep you guessing for hours. That said, this is also a great book to read on a plane. It is so complete, you will never need another brainteaser book. That is, until you memorize all the questions.
Book Description
This deck, from acclaimed Puzzlemaster Will Shortz, crossword puzzle editor for the New York Times and regular guest on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday, are packed with 75 brainteasers and mindbenders, each designed to challenge puzzlers of all stripes. A perfect gift for puzzle enthusiasts of all ages who want to test their brainpower while standing in line, commuting to work, or hanging out with friends.
Average customer rating:
- Puzzles with a different slant
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Classic Concentration: The Game, the Show, the Puzzles
Steve Ryan
Manufacturer: Sterling Pub Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Sam Loyd's Best Picture Puzzles
ASIN: 0806984686 |
Customer Reviews:
Puzzles with a different slant.......2006-02-22
This is a real gem of a puzzle book.My copy was published by Sterling in 1991.When you find a puzzle book published by Sterling,you get the best in paper,printing,color and overall super construction; that will entertain many and stand up to a lot of use.
Basically ,this book covers that highly successful TV show,Concentration, that ran on NBC for fourteen and a half year,ended on March 23,1973,after 3,796 shows.It returned again in September 1973 for five more years under a new name Classic Concentration.To anyone who remembers the show,this book will bring back many memories,particularly with its coverage and pictures of the people who did the show. In many ways this show was the Jeprody of the 60's and the 70's.
The puzzles on the show were an old type of puzzle that have been around for years.The puzzles are often called picture puzzles or by a more 'proper' name Rebus Puzzles.This type of puzzle became very popular at the beginning of the 20th. Century and one of the favorites of Sam Loyd,the world's most famous pozzle master at the time.See my review of one of his books on these puzzles,dated October 30,2005.
These puzzles are like others that become popular with a wide audience because it takes only a few minutes to learn the rules and how to go about solving.It's amazing how quickly some people develop a knack for solving them.
Included in the book are 152 puzzles from the shows over the years. When you finish the puzzles,put the book away for a while,then go to the answers at the back and see if you can come up with the pictures to represent the solution.
For example,what pictures,letters,numbers,etc.,would you use to show:
Borrow from Peter to pay Paul
or
Forget-me-not
or
Adding insult to injury
Overall,a book that will please anyone who loves puzzles and/or remembers that hit game show Concentration.
Book Description
This book includes 110 puzzles, not as individual problems but as incidents in connected stories. The first 31 are amusingly posed by pilgrims in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Additional puzzles are presented using different characters. Many require only the ability to exercise logical or visual skills; others offer a stimulating challenge to the mathematically advanced.
Customer Reviews:
A hard book but it repays one's efforts.......2005-12-11
I have owned this classic for a long time and often return to it for amusement. The degree of difficulty of the puzzles ranges from the trivial to mathematics degree standard and it's not always easy to tell in advance how hard each puzzle is.
It is very satisfying to get one of the puzzles right and reading Dudeney's ingenious solutions to the harder puzzles is a pleasure in its own right. One answer is calculated to 58 decimal places - not easy without a calculator unless you are HE Dudeney.
I would recommend other recreational maths books such as Martin Gardner's ahead of this one, but if you're into tricky puzzles this is certainly worth buying.
A fun mathematical book.......2004-04-23
Henry Dudeney (1847-1930) was one of the inventors of mathematical puzzles. This little book can be considered a fun educational math book to encourage the use of logic and visual skills. I do not feel that this book is for those who are weak in mathematics. Although, it could be used as a tool to expand one's mind in that area. And if all else falls-the answers are in the back of the book. I found it to be a fun book.
Book Description
"Each of these 14 delightful folktales is a short puzzle to be solved through cleverness, common sense or careful observation of details in the text. The tales are timeless and universal."--School Library Journal.
Customer Reviews:
good puzzles .......2007-02-12
My 8 year old daughter loves this book. On her first read through she said she only solved 1 or 2 of them herself, but she has since enjoyed reading them aloud to my husband and I to see if she can stump us. I've missed at least one, and we haven't read them all yet.
Based on my daughter's experience, I'd recommend this for ages 7 - 12. (or older, as I said, I got stumped too!)
Helps in Thinking Skills.......2004-09-02
Really a neat book, not only for kids, but for adults, too. Helps to sharpen thinking skills, while learning a little about the folklore of other countries and cultures.
something for everyone.......2003-02-17
I just ordered several of these books to give as birthday gifts for my 9 year old daughter's friends, but I had to read through it before we gave them away. Now I may need to purchase one for our house! The stories were fun, interesting and challenging, but not so difficult that my daughter couldn't figure some out for herself. I agree with the previous review that it makes one "think outside the box" - and is a fun and valuable asset to any library!
Logic outside the box - made fun.......2000-09-08
This book consists of folktales, very concisely told, that in some sense are a riddle, a puzzle, a play on words ... These stories are presented as problems to solve.
A major strength of the book is the variety of sources of the tales - Tibetan, Aesop, Armenia, India, Grimm brothers, Ethiopian, Japan; in fact many of the stories could have come from any of a number of cultures. The illustrations add to the interest of the book for its intended audience.
The only weakness is that in only one case does it offer alternative answers. For example, in filling a room perfume works as well as light; if children are reading the book independently, they may not have the confidence to recognize that their answer is a clever as the one given in the text.
The stories are fun - parents and children should enjoy this.
Marvelous folktales that present a challenge and a smile........1999-09-13
This is a wonderful book that combines mathematical reasoning and logic with fascinating folktales from around the world. A book that delights kids as well as adults.
Book Description
Lair of the Sphinx is a collection of 77 original riddles from the game designers at Cloud Kingdom Games. Here are a couple of sample riddles to try:
Riddle #1:
Always smiles or maybe frowns
Sinks in water, never drowns.
Catches prey on its barbed teeth
Hunts all day, but never eats.
Riddle #2:
A dozen Royals gathered round,
Entertained by two who clowned.
Each King there had servants ten,
Though none of them were also men.
The lowest servant sometimes might,
Defeat the King in a fair fight.
A weapon stout, a priceless jewel,
The beat of life, a farmer's tool.
Customer Reviews:
Not too shabby.......2000-10-08
This book is excellent. If you are a game-master for D&D or another game, this book can be an excellent way to add some interesting intellectual work.
Or if you're just a lover of riddles this is great. Some are very difficult, some greatly entertaiing. The coded answers, and vague hints make cheating off limits. Unless you really want to decode the answer, you have little to help you along the way.
Great fun!
Book Description
The ultimate celebration for the palindromic year 2002!
What exactly is "palindromania"? It's the inability to see the word STRAW without thinking WARTS. It's the powerful impulse to reverse the name OPRAH to make it HARPO. It's the uncontrollable urge to buy A TOYOTA. It's an obsession with words and phrases that read exactly the same forwards and backwards. And now, in his most entertaining and extensive volume, Jon Agee, the prime purveyor of palindromes, has taken this unique word phenomenon to a whole new level. Featuring themed sections, comic-strip-style stories, and even lengthy monologues, Agee's collection of over 160 familiar and unfamiliar palindromes paired with all-new masterly cartoons is a treasure for word-lovers young and old.
Customer Reviews:
An expert guide to avoiding the traps and snares.......2004-02-09
The English language is filled with quirks and puzzles. In Dictionary Of Troublesome Words, copy editor Bill Bryson provides the reader with an expert guide to avoiding the traps and snares of what is justifiably considered the most complicated and dominant languages of the world today. Bryson's A-Z dictionary clearly outlines some of the more common problems involved in using ordinary words such as 'either', future', or 'may well be'. Dictionary Of Troublesome Words is another browser's joyride in the proper pursuit of English and a welcome addition to personal, school, and community library reference collections.
Palindromania: More excellence from Jon Agee.......2004-01-01
This book is 112 pages of entertaining cartoons of palindromes. Jon Agee creates whimsical one to four panel stories in which all sentances are palindromes (the same forwards and backwards) and then illustrates them to bring them to life. If you enjoy palindromes, this is the perfect item for you.
A whimsical, fun gift for the English major.......2003-01-10
Palindromes form different words when considered from left to right or right to left (e.g., dog/god). This zany collection provides words or phrases which read the same forward or backward, pairing the zany phrases with entertaining comic strip cartoons. A whimsical, fun gift for the English major.
Book Description
Riddle Rooms is a collection of riddles and puzzles that have been turned into rooms that can be used in any role playing game. Each room conatins perforated handouts and a complete description for the game master. Riddle Rooms #1: Dungeon Dilemmas contains 20 rooms for use in indoor/underground settings.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent resource.......2003-09-02
This fun little book is an excellent resource for anyone who runs a fantasy role playing game! It contains the information on twenty rooms, each of which has some sort of puzzle that must be solved not by brute force, but with intelligence. The information itself is not setout within the framework of any gaming system (Dungeons and Dragons, etc.), but is generalized enough so that it can be easily used within any campaign.
As an AD&D Dungeon Master, I have already used a number of these rooms, and have found them to be quite useful. They range from the relatively simple to the devilishly hard. My one complaint is the organization of the book, which places the room information up front, and the illustrations at the end of the book with no page numbers. This means that once you decide to use a certain room, you have to thumb through the second half of the book visually scanning for any illustrations. I have no idea why the pages for each room aren't kept all together.
That said, I did find this book to be an excellent resource, one that I have drawn on repeatedly. By the way, there are two bonuses: 1) a set of riddles giving the ingredients for making a set of potions (a good hook for later adventures), and 2) six bonus riddle that you can use anywhere you want. This is a great book, one that I highly recommend to anyone who plays fantasy role-playing games.
good ilustrustrations, semi-good logic.......2001-12-20
The puzzles are nothing but riddles. Every single puzzles includes a riddle to solve in some way which makes it tiring after the first room. the logical Puzzles that players need to make are somewhat common sense that requires looking for an a specific object. ie, to cut the chain then you need to find the special axe. To get the axe then you got to first find the special key. the get that special key then you first have to break the Key casing around it with another particular item. It is full of puzzles like this and sometimes, pages seems to be wasted just to type out one large 4 line riddle to show to players when you can just say it.
Plausible Mechanics - literally.......2000-01-09
Riddle Rooms #1 accomplished something not often done - it provides traps that function by the laws of physics rather than those of magic. Finally your PCs have the option of tinkering with alien mechanisms instead of casting a read magic spell. The situations provided are very much plausible and I found myself using the presented materials more than once on numerous occasions.
Average customer rating:
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Mensa Riddles & Conundrums
Manufacturer: Carlton Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1858683106 |
Book Description
What better way to sharpen your wits and your puzzle skills than with Mensa's book of Riddles & Conundrums?
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