Extreme Su Doku: Bk. 1

Tired of looking for a sudoku challenge that's worthy of the skills you've developed? Or are you looking for a way to step up your skills to a level that allows you to challenge fiendish puzzles through the application of pure logic? No guessing allowed? Look no further. Wayne Gould's "Extreme Su Doku" will fit the bill! A well written introduction will give the less accomplished puzzler all the information they need to look for exposed and hidden doubles, triples and quadruples, x-wings and the more difficult variation, swordfish. (Did you know that triples and quadruples were known as Gakkens and Nadakos?) Read the introduction carefully and then dig into the puzzles. There is nothing for the faint of heart here. No gimmes or puzzles that whimper, roll over and effectively solve themselves. From the very first puzzle of the book, you'll find that at most two or three squares are what will present themselves as solvable by the usual first run through elimination techniques. After that, patience, logic and a careful application of more advanced techniques are needed to solve puzzles that frequently hinge on finding the single elusive square that will allow an entire puzzle to be unlocked. Have fun ... but be warned! The paper is relatively poor quality and does not take erasure well. So think twice, write once and erase once only. You probably won't get another chance before the paper is ruined. A weak point in what would have otherwise been a five star recommendation. Paul Weiss