The Puzzle Instinct: The Meaning of Puzzles in Human Life

Contents

Contents Preface ix 1 WhyPuzzles? 1 Puzzle-Making through the Ages 3 Puzzle-Solving as Insight Thinking 27 The Puzzle Instinct 35 2 PuzzlingLanguage 37 R, A,  O V P Riddles 38 Anagrams 46 Cryptograms 53 Rebuses 59 Crosswords 62 The Janus-Faced Nature of Language 68 3 PuzzlingPictures 71 O I, M,  O V M-B Visual Trickery 73 Geometrical Mind-Bogglers 83 Puzzles in Geometrical Dissection and Arrangement 91 Mazes 103 Order and Chaos 109 4 PuzzlingLogic 112 D, P,  O F  M P Deduction Puzzles 116 Truth Puzzles 125 Deception Puzzles 133 Paradoxes 136 The Paradox of Logic 141 5 PuzzlingNumbers 143 M S, C,  O M R Magic Squares 147 Puzzling Mathematical Patterns 151 Algebraic Puzzles 164 Cryptarithms 167 Mathematics, Magic, and Puzzles 175 6 PuzzlingGames 178 C, C,  O G Movement and Arrangement Games 180 Mechanical and Assembly Games 190 Board Games 197 Card and Dice Games 203 The Game of Life 206 7 ThePuzzleofLife 208 Puzzles and the Imagination 209 Puzzles and Serendipity 219 Puzzles and the Aesthetics of Mind 226 Ahmes’ Challenge 231 Solutions 236 Bibliography and General Reading List 254 Index 265 viii Contents ...