The Big Sudoku Brain Workout: 150 Puzzles for a Younger Mind

Believing that the "occurrence of neurodegenerative disease is less marked in people who have busy and varied lifestyles"--i.e., those who keep their bodies AND their brains active--Tom Sheldon, author and expert in "bioinformatics" and artificial intelligence, has devised a book of one hundred fifty "puzzles for a younger mind." While people are not stopping me on the street to exclaim about my "younger mind," I can attest to the fact that these are terrific puzzles, a great way to fill odd moments of time--those periods too short to read. For those unfamiliar with sudoku, each square puzzle consists of a grid containing nine squares, each of which contains nine small boxes within it--81 boxes for the whole puzzle. The objective of the puzzle is to fill in the boxes so that each horizontal line of overall puzzle contains the numbers 1 - 9, each vertical column contains 1 - 9, and each of the nine squares contains numbers 1 - 9. Some numbers are given in advance so that puzzler can use them to build on, the easy puzzles containing more given numbers than the "fiendish" ones. The book is well designed. Approximately 5" x 8" in size, each page contains only one large puzzle, providing plenty of space for writing numerical possibilities into each square on the more difficult puzzles. Four levels of difficulty and an introduction containing helpful hints for solving puzzles provide plenty of options for the beginner, and the most difficult level will challenge even the seasoned sudoku fan. An answer key is in the back of the book, especially helpful for the beginner who may want to check some decisions as s/he goes along. With a binding sturdy enough to permit folding the book in half to work on the puzzles on the left side, the book is inexpensive and easy to tote around in purse or briefcase. A few pages of blank forms would be helpful, and some might prefer a spiral binding, but this is a terrific book, and few fans will quibble about those minor issues in view of the puzzles' excellence. Experts may want to check the author's two other offerings: _Sudoku Genius_ and _Sudoku Master Class_. n Mary Whipple