... weirdly fascinating.

... timely and entertaining.

Although Jacobs has been accused of smugness in previous books, he's a self-deprecating guide to these puzzles (most of the 18 chapters come with several for us to solve, along with offering tips). He steps back to ponder why we love puzzles even though he still stews over one from his youth and a more recent example convinced him that one of his books has the wrong title.

[Jacobs] has mastered an avuncular, jokey, at times corny tone...And his choices in topics often spotlight the more peculiar examples in the puzzle world.

... a fascinating journey through the puzzling world, a look at the many different varieties of puzzle and the people whose lives are shaped by them. All of it viewed through the eyes of one very dedicated – and very talented – chronicler.

... ridiculously entertaining.

... riveting cultural analysis.

... lighthearted.