Stanley Newman

An enjoyable little book about the world of crossword solvers and creators, including the author's crusade against former New York Times crossword editor, Eugene Maleska, who printed puzzles with obscure clues that nobody could be expected to solve without extensive reference works (or the Web, which wasn't available back then). When the Times hired Will Shortz to edit the crossword after Maleska's death, the tide had turned to using clues that required cleverness, rather than encyclopedic show more knowledge.

The author also writes about his successful tournament play and how he became a crossword editor for Newsday. He includes some tips about solving puzzles, including a list of 100 essential words and their definitions. One interesting thing I learned is, contrary to the common perception, the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle is not the week's most difficult. Puzzles increase in difficulty only from Monday to Saturday, with the Sunday puzzle being at about the Wednesday level (only larger). I think I'll spare this fact from my parents who take great pride in solving the Sunday puzzle. show less

If I didn't like crossword puzzles, I would probably give this book only two or three stars. But for anyone who has struggled to find a four letter word ending in "ue" with the clue "a pout or grimace," this quick read book is FUN and gives helpful hints to solve any crossword puzzle. The author has very strong opinions about crossword constructors and editors and does not hesitate to share those opinions with the reader.

If you were asking for a book recommendation I wouldn’t mention this one even though it’s mildly entertaining. It’s a scattered thing that reads like several magazine articles, but there is some interesting information in there. It’s a bit about the crossword business, a bit about how to solve crosswords, and a lot about the author and their opinions.

It’s a quick read and worth it if you’re interested in crosswords, but I wouldn’t go out of my way.

Cruiciverbalism is a short trip through crossword design, editing, and fanaticism. Between the entertaining anecdotes and valuable puzzling advice, this book is a great, quick read.