Title :Puzzles to Puzzle you
Author : Shakuntala Devi 
Puzzles are meant to bring your mind out of its comfort zone. Shakuntala Devi, whose books were my childhood companion for some good years in school has again clutched my hand for some quality time. ”Puzzles to Puzzle you”, by Shakuntala Devi is a collection of one-hundred and fifty bewildering puzzles that will make you go crazy at times bringing out new mathematician out of you.
As the blurb of the book goes:
”Discover the adventure and excitement of mathematical puzzles. Match your wits with the human computer. Sharpen your intellect, delight your friends and enjoy hours of purposeful entertainment. Mathematics is not always hard, mind-boggling stuff. It can also be simple, delightful and interesting. Many famous mathematicians are known to be devoted to peg jumping puzzles. It is perhaps this kind of play that leads to scientific discoveries. The celebrity author, Shakuntala Devi, is regarded as ‘authentic heroine of twelfth century’. She calculates faster than the fastest computer, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records and continues to amaze audiences around the world with her feats of calculation.”
Warning: Beware before you start to solve the puzzles.
The puzzles may lead your mind to an undemanding state, sometimes you may turn all nuts but couldn’t restrain yourself from solving the riddles(happened with me). At the next moment, when you successful solve one puzzle victory overwhelms and you are all set to go through the next one.
Some of the puzzles you can solve by a single try while some sweats you off. Many a times, this very though struck my mind: whether the question is correct? Is the question complete? Might be possible that the answer is miss-printed. But all these questions fret away when you discover the answer. May be you couldn’t go through the question well at once, probable chances are to re and re-read.
All the puzzles are way different from each other, and require your strong attention and wit to involve. If you complete it in a single sit then my salute to you, but if you couldn’t, don’t worry! I’m your companion. Try, try and try and I vouch on that you could go through all of them successfully.
The one and the major downfall I locate in the book is- some solutions are not done in an effective manner. Only answers are given, but not the solution? What if the doer couldn’t locate to the answer? As all the puzzles are way different from each other, each of them needs to have step by step demonstration as how the doer could reach to the solution.
Mathematician genius and lovers, and all the students who want to crack campus interviews this book recommended is to you. Good to luck to you and your mind who is about to ride a bumpy-ride.
Mind blowing, Mind blogging and mind blending collections of puzzles!
Rating : 4/5
Reviewer: Shweta Kesari