For many decades, Martin Gardner, the Grand Master of mathematical puzzles, has provided the tools and projects to furnish our all-too-sluggish minds with an athletic workout. Gardner's problems foster an agility of the mind as they entertain. This volume presents a new collection of problems and puzzles not previously published in book form. Martin Gardner has dedicated it to "all the underpaid teachers of mathematics everywhere, who love their subject and are able to communicate that love to their students."

Consider this: Robots will one day be able to write poetry and prose so touching that it will make men weep; compose dozens or even hundreds of symphonies that will rival the work of Mozart; judge a court case with absolute impartiality and fairness; or even converse with the natural ease of your best friend. Robots will one day be so life-like that a human could fall in love and marry one. Thought provoking and controversial? Certainly. Far-fetched? Not at all. David Levy presents the history of Artificial Intelligence, considers recent developments, and speculates about the future of AI. A complete bibliography is available here.

Saunders Mac Lane was an extraordinary mathematician, a dedicated teacher, and a good citizen who cared deeply about the values of science and education. In his autobiography, he gives us a glimpse of his "life and times," mixing the highly personal with professional observations. His recollections bring to life a century of extraordinary accomplishments and tragedies that inspire and educate. Saunders Mac Lane's life covers nearly a century of mathematical developments. During the earlier part of the twentieth century, he participated in the exciting happenings in Goettingen---the Mecca of mathematics. He studied under David Hilbert, Hermann Weyl, and Paul Bernays and witnessed the collapse of a great tradition under the political pressure of a brutal dictatorship. Later, he contributed to the more abstract and general mathematical viewpoints developed in the twentieth century. Perhaps the most outstanding accomplishment during his long and extraordinary career was the development of the concept of categories, together with Samuel Eilenberg, and the creation of a theory that has broad applications in different areas of mathematics, in particular topology and foundations. He was also a keen observer and active participant in the social and political events. As a member and vice president of the National Academy of Science and an advisor to the Administration, he exerted considerable influence on science and education policies in the post-war period. Mac Lane's autobiography takes the reader on a journey through the most important milestones of the mathematical world in the twentieth century.

Much more than just a puzzle book - a comprehensive collection featuring every major variant of sudoku ever created.

Over 25 major sudoku types . . . nearly 150 different variants . . . and almost 500 puzzles, all created especially for this book, including Jigsaw Sudoku, Killer Sudoku and multi-grid Samurai Sudoku.

No other collection of Sudoku comes close. This is without doubt the most definitive
volume of Sudoku variants ever compiled, with full instructions and solutions included.

Praise for "The Mammoth Book of Fun Brain Training" by the same author:
'The puzzles are fresh and lively' - Will Shortz

Challenge yourself with numeric puzzles in this modern twist on the classic word search. SumSearch features 100 puzzles of escalating difficulty that force you to look at numbers in a new way. Each puzzle features a goal number and a set number of combinations hidden within the puzzle. Seek out the sums that add up to the goal number to complete the challenge. Beginner puzzles tell you exactly what to look for, but Intermediate and Expert puzzles just tell you how many to find. All of them will strengthen your cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills. SumSearch is perfect as a traveling companion and a quick mind refresher, for practicing arithmetic, or for having brain battles of epic proportions.

Would you believe that you could ask a full-grown man to hold a penny for you and then tell him to drop it and finds he can t, hard as he may try? In what is undoubtedly the most original magic book of our time, John Fisher shows the reader how, with minimal practice, he can use the marvels of the human body to entertain and mystify friends and family, small and large audiences. This book is first of all a delight to read because of the instant education it provides us with about the unknown powers we have in our hands, our eyes, our noses, and our incredible nervous system. In each case, Mr. Fisher shows the easy-to-grasp principle first and then how to put the principle to work in actual tricks. Most magic books require a great deal of study and dexterity. This one enables you to entertain people even before you have finished the book. Moreover, you never have to worry about being prepared, because you always have with you all the miraculous things you need your hands, your eyes, and the rest of your body."

Part of an exciting series of sturdy, square-box 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles from Flame Tree, featuring powerful and popular works of art. This new jigsaw will satisfy your need for a challenge, with a masterpiece of modern American Art, American Gothic by Grant Wood. This 1000 piece jigsaw is intended for adults and children over 13 years. Not suitable for children under 3 years due to small parts. Finished Jigsaw size 735 x 510mm/29 x 20 ins. Now includes an A4 poster for reference. Grant Wood's image of two stoic Iowa citizens installed in front of their gothic-hinted home has become a classic of modern American art. Modelled by Wood's daughter and a local dentist, the painting offers a defiant statement of prosaic regionalism in a cultural world then dominated by the modernist tendencies of Europe and Russia, a reposte perhaps to the expressive works of Picasso, Kandinsky and their fellows. The folk art of American Gothic presents a familiar world of local history and imbues it with echoes of Old West photography, with proud owners standing awkwardly in front of their pioneer homesteads. Wood, though, appears subtly to undermine the simplicity of the image with darker implications of the gothic window, the tricorn rake, and the severe expressions of the protagonists, which draw the viewer into the more enigmatic world of the long, dark nights of the American gothic countryside.

Quest for words! Hunt for fun!

Wiggling a pencil so that it looks like it is made of rubber, "stealing" your niece's nose, and listening for the sounds of the ocean in a conch shell- these are examples of folk illusions, youthful play forms that trade on perceptual oddities. In this groundbreaking study, K. Brandon Barker and Claiborne Rice argue that these easily overlooked instances of children's folklore offer an important avenue for studying perception and cognition in the contexts of social and embodied development. Folk illusions are traditionalized verbal and/or physical actions that are performed with the intention of creating a phantasm for one or more participants. Using a cross-disciplinary approach that combines the ethnographic methods of folklore with the empirical data of neuroscience, cognitive science, and psychology, Barker and Rice catalogue over eighty discrete folk illusions while exploring the complexities of embodied perception. Taken together as a genre of folklore, folk illusions show that people, starting from a young age, possess an awareness of the illusory tendencies of perceptual processes as well as an awareness that the distinctions between illusion and reality are always communally formed.

Part of an exciting series of sturdy, square-box 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles from Flame Tree, featuring powerful and popular works of art. This new jigsaw will satisfy your need for a challenge, featuring Hokusai's The Great Wave. This 1000 piece jigsaw is intended for adults and children over 13 years. Not suitable for children under 3 years due to small parts. Finished Jigsaw size 735 x 510mm/29 x 20 ins. Now includes an A4 poster for reference. The most notable period in Hokusai's artistic life was the latter part of his career, beginning in 1830 when he was 70 years old. He began the series of landscapes he is most famous for: 'Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji', which included The Great Wave, off Kanagawa, probably his most iconic image.

The vast majority of sudoku puzzles that are labeled "hard," "expert," "challenger," are not really all that difficult. And in a surprising number of cases, they are downright easy. In the "Absolutely Nasty Sudoku" books, you will find puzzles truly worthy of the label "hard." The puzzles increase in difficulty throughout the four books in the series. It ranges from basic and intermediate puzzles and techniques at Level No. 1, to the most advanced techniques at Level No. 4, along with puzzles that require multiple advanced techniques each time.

The Birds of the World 1000 Piece Puzzle from Galison features the colorful botanical paper sculptures of Colombian paper artist and sculptor, Diana Beltran Herrera. 15 intricate bird paper scrulptures their country are shown on postage stamps. Galison puzzles are packaged in matte-finish sturdy boxes, perfect for gifting, reuse, and storage. * Puzzle Size: 27 x 20", 505 x 686mm * Box: 8.25 x 11.25 x 2", 210 x 286 x 51mm * Includes Puzzle Image Insert * Minimal Puzzle Dust * Ribbon Cut Pieces

Jigsaw meets whodunit! Complete the jigsaw puzzle to reveal the clues and solve the murder mystery. This absorbing mystery puzzle offers hours of entertainment and an excellent challenge for the little gray cells. * Begin by reading the story of the incident. * Then, guided by the narrative rather than a visual reference, complete the jigsaw puzzle. * The finished image provides all the clues you need to crack the case. The Story: Uncle Gregory McGough has died (could it have been murder?), and his will is locked away in a safe. The problem is, no one knows the code. Only the great detective Medea Thorne can deduce the combination and reveal the contents of the will. But every sleuth needs a sidekick: That's where you come in. Prepare yourself for a caper full of wit, elegance, and a touch of the macabre. * DISTINCTIVE TWIST ON THE JIGSAW: In this mystery puzzle, the full puzzle image is a secret until you complete the jigsaw, because it contains the crucial clues you need to unravel the mystery. Double the puzzles to solve = double the fun, especially for parties and cozy nights in. * PERFECT BLEND FOR MYSTERY AND PUZZLE FANS: For anyone who loves jigsaws and classic mystery stories, this is the ultimate gift. The narrative and illustrations pay homage to beloved creators like Agatha Christie and Edward Gorey. * COOL OBJECT: With an elegant box shaped like a book, this makes a special gift and an enviable coffee-table centerpiece. * NOSTALGIC APPEAL: This mystery puzzle revamps a popular jigsaw format from the 1990s, inviting puzzlers to rediscover a nostalgic pastime. * GORGEOUS ILLUSTRATION: The finished puzzle image is a sumptuous illustration full of rich color, hidden details, and lightly gothic humor. Perfect for: * Devoted puzzlers looking for a new challenge * Couples and small groups looking for a cozy activity at home * Party hosts or hostess-gift shoppers * Fans of cozy British mysteries-including Agatha Christie novels, Sherlock Holmes stories, and Masterpiece shows * Fans of Edward Gorey * Classic literature lovers * Illustration lovers

Jigsaw meets whodunit! Complete the jigsaw puzzle to reveal the clues and solve the murder mystery. This absorbing mystery puzzle offers hours of entertainment and an excellent challenge for the little gray cells. * Begin by reading the story of the incident. * Then, guided by the narrative rather than a visual reference, complete the jigsaw puzzle. * The finished image provides all the clues you need to crack the case. The Story: Someone's been strangled at the international clairvoyants' convention, just before they could unmask a fraud at work in the crowd. Only the great detective Medea Thorne can find the killer. But every sleuth needs a sidekick: That's where you come in. Prepare yourself for a caper full of wit, elegance, and a touch of the macabre. * DISTINCTIVE TWIST ON THE JIGSAW: In this mystery puzzle, the full puzzle image is a secret until you complete the jigsaw, because it contains the crucial clues you need to unravel the mystery. Double the puzzles to solve = double the fun, especially for parties and cozy nights in. * PERFECT BLEND FOR MYSTERY AND PUZZLE FANS: For anyone who loves jigsaws and classic mystery stories, this is the ultimate gift. The narrative and illustrations pay homage to beloved creators like Agatha Christie and Edward Gorey. * COOL OBJECT: With an elegant box shaped like a book, this makes a special gift and an enviable coffee-table centerpiece. * NOSTALGIC APPEAL: This mystery puzzle revamps a popular jigsaw format from the 1990s, inviting puzzlers to rediscover a nostalgic pastime. * GORGEOUS ILLUSTRATION: The finished puzzle image is a sumptuous illustration full of rich color, hidden details, and lightly gothic humor. Perfect for: * Devoted puzzlers looking for a new challenge * Couples and small groups looking for a cozy activity at home * Party hosts or hostess gift shoppers * Fans of cozy British mysteries-including Agatha Christie novels, Sherlock Holmes stories, and Masterpiece shows * Fans of Edward Gorey * Classic literature lovers * Illustration lovers

Welcome to Nathalie Lete's Enchanted World When the girl opens the book to read, all the birds gather and listen. Not to her voice, but to her spirit. Piece by piece, retrace the magic of Nathalie Lete's imagination and revel in her breathtaking colors and imagery. Featuring: 500 full-color interlocking pieces Art print with puzzle image Finished puzzle is 19" x 23 4/5"