From ancient riddles to modern Sudoku, 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 a hundred of examples of the most mindbending, the most challenging, the most satisfying, or simply the most humorous of puzzles throughout the ages, William Hartston traces the development of brainteasers of all varieties and the increasing ingenuity of puzzle setters from ancient civilisations to modern puzzle crazes.

Originally created as an educational tool for children in the 1700s, jigsaw puzzles developed into a national craze during the Great Depression. A renowned puzzle expert pieces together the origins of this beloved pastime and examine the minds of such famous puzzlers as Queen Elizabeth II, Bill Gates, and Stephen King. Includes illustrations and photos. 0-425-19820-0$22.95 / Penguin Group

Brush up on your math skills with fun games and puzzles.

Students will love to learn about significant events in American history with this fun puzzle workbook! From Columbus' discovery of the New World to the end of the Cold War, this engaging classroom supplement presents historical information through crossword, word search, and hidden message puzzles; review activities and answer keys are also included. Mark Twain Media Publishing Company specializes in providing captivating, supplemental books and decorative resources to complement middle- and upper-grade classrooms. Designed by leading educators, the product line covers a range of subjects including mathematics, sciences, language arts, social studies, history, government, fine arts, and character. Mark Twain Media also provides innovative classroom solutions for bulletin boards and interactive whiteboards. Since 1977, Mark Twain Media has remained a reliable source for a wide variety of engaging classroom resources.

The Mark Twain U.S. History Puzzles book enhances social studies with activities such as crosswords, word searches, and quizzes. A fun way to teach students about early settlements and global wars, this middle school U.S. history book uses puzzle-based activities to present significant events. Correlated to meet current state standards, the U.S. History Puzzles book helps students focus on significant topics and events in America’s past, including: -the expansion of the United States -American involvement in global wars -the increasing role of industrialization and technology -equality Mark Twain Media Publishing Company provides innovative supplemental books and content-rich decorations for middle-grade and upper-grade classrooms. This product line is designed by leading educators and features a variety of subjects, including history, fine arts, science, language arts, social studies, government, math, and behavior management.

__________ Out now: the biggest quiz book of the year. The Astronomy Puzzle Book is a puzzle book that's truly out of this world __________ What's Goldilocks got to do with the study of space? Everyone's heard of NASA, but can you name any of the other 72 space agencies around the world? And do you know your lunar and solar deities? The Astronomy Puzzle Book is packed with more than 100 puzzles that have been inspired by the Royal Observatory's history and collections. The conundrums and riddles in this book celebrate all that is inspiring and fascinating about space, the stars and the history of astronomy. Inside this book, you will find astronomical instruments, star charts, famous astronomers and much more. Explore some of the latest astronomical theories and achievements in space exploration as you decipher the clues and solve the puzzles. Put your problem-solving skills to the test by delving deep into the darkest corners of space. __________ Space has the power to inspire and fascinate all of us on Earth and the history of astronomy has been one of solving puzzles. Now it's your turn.