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.