Word.: 144 Crossword Puzzles That Prove It's Hip to be Square

By Natan Last

Book Overview

Created by Natan Last, a senior at Brown University, three-time intern with Will Shortz, and in 2008 the youngest person to have a puzzle published in the Sunday New York Times , Word kicks the crossword puzzle squarely into the 21st century for a new generation of puzzle-lovers, replacing fusty crossword-ese with hip cultural references, modern wordplay, and a lively mix of high-and low-brow pop trivia. A Word puzzle begins with the shared knowledge of a literate but not-so-reverent generation, and celebrates the knowingness with a deft touch. Your parents' crosswords make solvers feel smart. Word puzzles make solvers feel smart and cool, getting the references to The Daily Show , Mario Brothers, the Goo Goo Dolls, and a hefty dose of nostalgia (the name of the motel in Psycho ). But they also know the core curriculum: Charlotte Bronte's Jane, Roman generals, Berlioz and von Bismarck, Homer--and not just Homer Simpson. The puzzles are constructed with all the smarts of a daily Times crossword: themes, interconnected clues, titles that unlock the overall puzzle (solve all the clues and the circle letters will spell out a famous name at Hogwarts). Assisting Mr. Last is a group of five more top "under 25" constructors, all of whom have published puzzles in The New York Times .

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761167552
• ISBN13: 9780761167556
• Release Date: March 2012
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.8" x 6.0"