The Master Theorem: A Book of Puzzles, Intrigue, and Wit

"This book is a collection of very clever puzzles. The author is mysterious and goes by the pseudonym M. Some are pictures, some are codes, and some are wordplay. One thing I love about them is that you have to use different types of thinking and solving techniques. One of my favorite puzzles is when you have to spot something that links a bunch of disparate objects or ideas. Finding patterns is the basis of science, it’s the basis of life. Here’s one with pictures, I’ll let you try and figure it out. That’ll be fun. What are these pictures of? Yes, but what kind of picture is it? Right. What about this one? I don’t know if they call it this in Britain, I think they do. It’s the one you’re not supposed to stick in your ear. Exactly. So what do those three pictures have in common? Yes, the solution to this one is letter. Each group of pictures has a common theme. Together, they spell out a sentence, which then reveals the solution. Even without the puzzles, I like the book for the writing alone. I love this line: “My preferred learning style has always been to jump off the cliff first and build a parachute on the way down.” I don’t agree with it. I think it’s a terrible life philosophy. But I love it. It’s so wittily expressed. M is a clever and funny writer. No, I came across it because (like you) I was always asking people what their favorite book puzzle books were. This book was a recurring theme. A lot of people love The Master Theorem . It’s colorful and artistic. Exactly. That is one of the themes, that doing puzzles is like going to the mental gym. You are building up ways of thinking and improving your reasoning and creativity. I buy it. Maybe it’s a rationalization because I’ve spent thousands of hours on puzzles. Maybe they do nothing for your brain. But there is some science that says that they teach you to think in better ways. I go all in and buy that 100%."