'Utterly fascinating' Daisy Goodwin, Sunday Times Benjamin Franklin took daily naked air baths and Toulouse-Lautrec painted in brothels. Edith Sitwell worked in bed, and George Gershwin composed at the piano in pyjamas. Freud worked sixteen hours a day, but Gertrude Stein could never write for more than thirty minutes, and F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in gin-fuelled bursts - he believed alcohol was essential to his creative process. From Marx to Murakami and Beethoven to Bacon, Daily Rituals by Mason Currey presents the working routines of more than a hundred and sixty of the greatest philosophers, writers, composers and artists ever to have lived. Whether by amphetamines or alcohol, headstand or boxing, these people made time and got to work. Featuring photographs of writers and artists at work, and filled with fascinating insights on the mechanics of genius and entertaining stories of the personalities behind it, Daily Rituals is irresistibly addictive, and utterly inspiring.

What should you do when you know that the solution to a problem is right in front of you, but you just can't see it? Working through problems needn't be hard work - in fact, trying too hard can trap you in rigid thought patterns and blind you to unexpected but brilliant solutions. This brain-training puzzle book will help you to see and think in new ways, and allow you to channel your thoughts in a fresh direction. Includes an extended introduction with pointers on how to think outside the box, as well as How to Think tips to improve your problem-solving skills as you work through 50 thought-provoking puzzles.

LEARN SHORTCUTS Many of the puzzles will seem as though they will take longer than two minutes to solve, but ... there are shortcuts if you can find them!! There are faster ways to solve each problem and dilemma. The Two-Minute Puzzle Book will teach you to look for such loopholes and shortcuts!ENGAGING THEMATIC PUZZLES From Chapter One's 'The One and Only' through Chapter Nine's 'The Whole Nine Yards', each chapter contains puzzles related to the chapter's theme. For example, in the second chapter, you will find mechanical puzzles with double pieces, riddles about couples, line puzzles and more.There are match puzzles, tangram-related puzzles, paper puzzles, geometric puzzles and mathematical puzzles to tease and occupy all types of puzzlists. Some require intuition but all are two minutes away from a solution.UNIQUE CHALLENGES As with their previous puzzle books, the authors, David Goodman and Ilan Garibi, aim to provide a fresh and original book. Many of the puzzles are coming from their heads and are not retreads!! There are some classic puzzles too, but the authors present them in an original way.CULTIVATE YOUR BRAIN TO THINK CREATIVELY Crack open this book and allow the puzzles presented to train your brain. Always look for a bypass or shortcut. Find a different point of view. By rephrasing the question, a solution may surface!We hope that this book will tickle your imagination and sharpen your mind. You just might begin to solve everyday 'real-world' problems differently. FLEX YOUR BRAIN.

Be transported to the glorious days of Spring with this intricately illustrated puzzle from Sara Boccaccini Meadows. Includes a double sided poster - one side can be used to help you complete the puzzle, and the other is a guide to grow your own plants.

Let the wisdom of the cat center you as you solve this charming puzzle. Featuring Lim Heng Swee's colorful and calming illustration of a hidden cat landscape, this puzzle comes in a coordinating, illustrated pouch-perfect for unwinding at home or toting on a mindful retreat.

The perfect book for any adult who loves to challenge their brain but also craves a creative outlet that allows them to use the artistic and inventive side too. Featuring over 120 fantastic puzzles, mazes, dot-to-dots, crosswords, spot the difference, hanjie, sudoku and more, as well as colouring pages, The Adult Activity Book truly lives up to its name and presents a variety of puzzles and activities that will help boost your brain power. Apart from enhancing the brain, you will find that taking time for yourself and concentrating on an activity has real therapeutic benefits too, as it allows you to recharge your batteries and better cope with the stresses we all face every day. All the activities increase in difficulty as you work through the book, and all you need are pens and pencils to get stuck in – so challenge your brain to ever-harder puzzles or kick back and relax with bit of creative colouring.

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.

An entire year's worth of great crosswords from The New York Times, with puzzles from every day of the week, including Sunday! For puzzlers who just can't get enough crosswords, here's a collection to last all year long! The New York Times A Puzzle a Day includes: - 365 fun, solvable New York Times crosswords - Puzzles from easy to hard for all solvers to enjoy - Edited by crossword legend Will Shortz

Collected over several years by Peter Winkler, of Bell Labs, dozens of elegant, intriguing challenges are presented in Mathematical Puzzles. The answers are easy to explain, but without this book, devilishly hard to find. Creative reasoning is the key to these puzzles. No involved computation or higher mathematics is necessary, but your ability to construct a mathematical proof will be severly tested--even if you are a professional mathematician. For the truly adventurous, there is even a chapter on unsolved puzzles.

The first book in a brand new Daily Mail puzzles series, Daily Mail Big Book of Sudoku 1 contains over 400 sudoku grids ranging from easier puzzles for beginners right up to fiendish puzzles that will challenge even the most experienced of sudoku-lovers. Never be without a diverting pastime on a long train journey or a rainy evening with this bumper collection of sudoku puzzles from the Daily Mail.

A NEW TWIST ON A POPULAR PUZZLE CUBE! Invented by Piet Hein, the Soma cube is one of the most famous mechanical puzzles in the world. The traditional challenge and outcome is to build a cube or other structures from all seven pieces.CHANGE THE RULES, CHANGE THE OUTCOME! The puzzles in this unique Soma-inspired collection are no longer predicated upon using all seven pieces at one time! By varying the number of pieces, there are many new and versatile puzzle challenges, from all types of recreational mathematics fields. For example, you will find symmetry puzzles, cover-up puzzles, and even fraction puzzles. The chapters are divided according to the number of pieces used; from single-piece puzzles to puzzles requiring a complete set.WHY USE THE SOMA CUBE? From the moment our creative team changed their rules of engagement for this new collection, the potential puzzle challenges and their solutions became nearly limitless! There is something magical and enchanting in those seven pieces that enabled us to find many puzzles and challenges!NEW CHALLENGES Most of the puzzles demonstrated within the book are original. Some are based on classic puzzles, as well as more modern ones, modified and presented by using the set of Soma pieces.LOW COST AND HIGH INTEREST FOR HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT WITH INCREASING COMPLEXITY! This is a unique collection of puzzles - all you need is a set of the Soma cube. The puzzles range from easy to difficult and they appeal to a wide audience - all within the reach of the general public. It presents many geometrical and mathematical principles, and makes them easier to understand. However, no special knowledge in mathematics or geometry is required.

These 450+ questions will put even the most knowledgeable cinephiles to the test! The first Cannes Film Festival was held in which decade? Who starred as Norman Bates in Psycho? What planet is Yoda from? Who did win that Oscar: La La Land or Moonlight? This interactive trivia book is the ultimate chance to showcase your knowledge of the silver screen, from comedy horrors to cop movies, body swaps to the Bechdel test, and everything in between. Grab the popcorn, it's lights, questions, action!

The elephant is the world's largest land mammal. Elephant tusks are teeth, not horns. Elephants sleep up to 8 hours a day. Can you spot the odd fact out? Pull a card and ask the other players to identify which of three pieces of trivia is not actually true! With trivia challenges ranging from history to pop culture to geography and more, these cards will put your knowledge to the test.