The Original Sudoku

Most sudoku puzzles are punched out by computer programs. They can be entertaining, but the actual playing by human beings has not been factored in. It gets frustrating to start an "easy" puzzle, only to be completely stymied by how difficult it actually is. Not so here. You're given the same amount of starting numbers as the computerized puzzles, with a big difference: Someone actually sat down and looked at how they'd play. The result is that the "easy" puzzles are REALLY easy, ditto the medium and hard. For anyone starting out with this addictive pastime, you won't do better than this book. After reading the three simple techniques of how to solve sudoku given in the introduction you're ready to plunge in. The first few puzzles will tease your brain, but won't fry it. They are in fact easy, and will give you rapid gratification. Then you're hooked, and you'll want more. This book is very different from most other sudoku collections. You'll find fun, not frustration here. Highly recommended.

The Nikoli Publishing puzzles are both fun to complete and well-sized. The puzzle grids are a little over 3 inches by 3 inches. I like this size because it's small enough to see patterns emerging (look at the puzzle as a whole) yet large enough to pencil in multiple numbers that might reside in a single square. I agree with another reviewer who commented that sometimes the designations don't seem to jive -- I've found some of the "very hard" puzzles easier to complete that some of the "medium" puzzles. But the puzzles are fun and engaging. I like this publisher better than Sudoku puzzle books edited by Will Shortz (the puzzle grids are just too big) and the Master Sudoku books by Carol Vorderman. I'd rank Nikoli one, Vorderman two and Shortz 3. However, I think Vorderman give the best "How to Solve" directions and would point beginners to her books.

Containing 300 handcrafted puzzles, this is a good book to advance your skills. The size is nice--smaller than a mass market paperback, the pages nevertheless stand up to a fair amount of erasing and are easily ripped out. The tips in the front are good for a beginner, as I was when I bought it. I'm relieved that many reviewers find the puzzles difficult, because I find even the "easy" ones hard sometimes. It doesn't surprise me a bit that most puzzles today are computer generated, but these are pleasingly symetrical. Be prepared to get hooked!

These Sudoku publishers know exactly what we Sudoku fans want. The book is small so we can bring it around easily, the paper is thick enough so erasing won't tear the pages and best of all these HAND-CRAFTED puzzles, unlike their computer-generated counterparts, are made to be as challenging as possible but not so much that it gets frustrating. Plus, there is a wonderful introduction that shows us how to spot basic and advanced patterns.

This Sudoku book is unique in that the publisher boasts that all 300 puzzles are created by an actual person. There is an introduction that, in addition to giving the rules and strategy hints, explains why these "handmade" puzzles are unique and supposedly more interesting to solve. I think it just makes them harder! Typically a computer generated "easy" takes me five minutes or so, these "easy" puzzles *really* stumped me. As in it over an hour to solve the first one. Its a good sized book, small enough to carry around but large enough to pencil in guesses. Nice heavy paper stands up to the inevitable erasing!