The New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically goes on a 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. What makes puzzles--jigsaw, mazes, riddles, sudoku--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 taught him to think and made him a better person, A.J. Jacobs--the 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. Not quite. But, in The Puzzler , he meets the most zealous devotees, enters (sometimes with his kids in tow) any puzzle competition that will have him, and unpacks the history and relevance of a huge variety of head-scratchers: from the all-time bestselling puzzle, the Rubik's Cube, to the hardest escape room in the world. Like any good puzzle, The Puzzler is an enveloping experience, chock-full of unforgettable adventures and original, completable examples from around the world--including new work by Greg Pliska, one of America's top puzzle-makers. Interspersed throughout are concrete lessons on how puzzles can improve readers' mental dexterity and crisis management abilities. Like a real-life, less intimidating Willy Wonka, Jacobs has even hidden a secret, super-challenging but solvable puzzle within his book, and he will award a $10,000 prize to the first reader to solve it. Whether you're one of the .0001% of Notpron champions or an occasional Monday crossworder, The Puzzler will open your eyes to the power of flexible thinking and concentration. You'll walk away with real problem-solving strategies and pathways towards becoming a better thinker and decision maker--for these are certainly puzzling times.
A.J. Jacobs is a journalist, lecturer, and human guinea pig who has written four bestselling books--including Drop Dead Healthy and The Year of Living Biblically , which spent three months on the New York Times bestseller list--that blend memoir, science, humor, and a dash of self-help. He is a contributor to NPR , The New York Times , and Esquire , among others. He lives in New York City with his family.