Will ShortzThe Puzzlemaster Presents, Volume 2: Will Shortz's Best Puzzles from NPR (Other)

This is the sort of book you're never too sure about if you can't see it ahead of time, but I took the chance and gave this as a gift to my puzzle-loving husband. It's been the sort of thing we pull out to entertain each other with--one reads the puzzle out loud and we both try to come up with answers--and it has been great fun for months. We deliberately do them sporadically so that we're spreading out the enjoyment, not usually more than 2 puzzles at a time, and it's been consistent fun. The puzzles are just the right challenge level--not so easy we can kid ourselves that we're brilliant and not so hard that we have to lick our wounds after. We have a few other books of this ilk that we abandoned for being either almost childish or too Mensa-full-of-itself, or even for not being puzzles that you can share. This one is like Goldilocks' best find: "just right".

The book was exactly what I expected. It was in good condition. The one criticism is that the book carried a price sticker for $1.50. I was satisfied with the price I paid, but it's aggravating to know somewhere, sometime it could have been purchased for so much less.

Will Shortz is the best. I love this book and have to pace myself so I don’t solve all the puzzles in a few days!

In the original volume 1, each puzzle was allowed to occupy a page. The form fit the function.Someone with the publisher decided a penny could be saved if they could jam the puzzles closer together, so volume 2 loses the form/function synergy.I'll nourish a hope that volume 3 will return to the appropriate formatting of the original volume 1.Will Shortz is still a genius, though, and his puzzles are... ingenious!

The puzzles are just the right degree of difficulty.

I found the first edition of Will Shortz's puzzle books while on vacation at the Oregon Coast, and finished it in a few days. I immediately looked for another in book stores, but could not find another. Then I tried good old reliable Amazon and had a new book in a few days. These puzzles are challenging, but doable. I am a crossword puzzle buff, cannot do the New York Times Sunday puzzle by Will but I can handle almost all the puzzles in the book.

Great brain teasers! RECEIVED PROMPTLY.

The book was as described. Took a little longer to arrive than expected.