194. Scrambled Words:

125 Brand-New Anagram Puzzles is now available for your solving pleasure.

The difficulty increases and variations are introduced as you go, including illustrated anagrams.

Puzzles by Patrick Merrell • puzzle concept by Stephanie Spadaccini • published by Portable Press • 288 pages • 5 x 7″ • $9.95.

• Read more about it on Amazon.com

191. WOW ‘OOH

Ambigrams Revealed, a new book by Nikita Prokhorov, makes a great addition to your ambigram library … or a great start to your ambigram library.

What’s in it? Insightful discussions with top ambigram artists, including John Langdon and Scott Kim. In-depth analysis of selected designs with step-by-step sketches showing how they were created. Helpful advice on creating ambigrams. And a whopping 40-page section showcasing ambigrams from all over the world, over 170 in all.

A few of my favorites: A flowing-metal Ringworld ambigram by Bastian Pinnenberg [page 127], Labyrinth graphically spelled out within the path of a maze by Krysztof Sliwa [page 120], a highly readable Rock n Roll by Kai Hammond [page 138], and a clever variation by Scott Kim, the numbers 1-12 used to spell Schönberg, the composer who invented 12-tone composition [page 32].

• CLICK: An interview with Nikita Prokhorov
• CLICK: Order the book from Peachpit Press
(both the book and ebook look great)

186. Spring Searching

Now available on a newsstand near you, 142 all-new word search puzzles in six variations: regular, jumbo, one-word, clue, quote, and trivia.

Puzzles and interior design by Patrick Merrell; published by Time Home Entertainment.

184. Sneak Peek 2

The first iFlush book (iFlush: Swimming in Science, post 181) isn’t even out yet, but here’s an announcement for its sequel, iFlush: Hurtling thru History.

Coming in September, this 96-page compendium of history, stories, fascinating factoids, amusing anecdotes, unique puzzles and art will be everything you’ll come to expect of the iFlush books.

183. The Maze of Games

You may want to check out this new Kickstarter project, The Maze of Games: “It’s a full-length puzzle novel with over 50 puzzles and a deeply engaging story, all woven together in a ‘solve your own adventure’ style which will keep you jumping from page to page.”

Mazes and puzzles in an illustrated book … and none of it by me. Sounds like a good combination!

Update: A bonus puzzle by Deb Amlen, puzzlemaker, humorist, and writer for the New York Times crossword blog Wordplay, will be included if a fast-approaching subscriber goal is met (it was).

181: Sneak Peek

Coming this spring: iFlush: Swimming in Science, the first book in a surprising new series for kids. Edgy, absorbing, refreshing, fun … and tons of real science!

Written, illustrated, and designed by Patrick Merrell from a concept by the big brains at the Bathroom Readers’ Institute, Gordon Javna and Kim T. Griswell. Published by Portable Press (96 pages, hardcover $10.36).

179. Search Me

Thou shalt have fun. Jumbo Word Search: Bible Edition hits newsstands Feb. 15, with a super-sized 240-page trade version coming to bookstores in March.

Eight puzzle variations and tons of themes: foods of the Bible, Mary, scrambled books, Psalms and Proverbs quotes, Bible creatures, miracles, Moses, Bible locales, Passover, words that appear just once in the Bible, even Ben-Hur.

Puzzles and interior design by Patrick Merrell. Published by Time Home Entertainment.

177. Not Much Afoot

A number of birds have little or no ability to walk.

• Hummingbirds use their feet only to perch or scratch themselves. Moving even a few feet is done by flying.
• Swifts’ legs are almost nonexistent and their tiny clawed feet are suited for little more than clinging to vertical surfaces.
• The legs of some water birds, such as grebes and loons, are set so far back for diving and swimming that walking or even taking off from land isn’t possible.

From Bird Brainteasers

175. Try Emmy’s Symmetry

Coming in March: Ambigrams Revealed, written by Nikita Prokhorov and published by New Riders. Here’s a partial description of the book, which will include three of my ambigrams:

This small, quirky art and design book will showcase ambigrams culled from a call-for-entry to designers from around the world. The author has lined up an all-star panel of design judges to evaluate the entries and critique the best of the best for inclusion in the book.

The book also includes a section explaining how ambigrams are relevant to traditional typography and core design principles as well as a section that features several in-depth, step-by-step tutorials for creating ambigrams from start to finish.

172. Old Times

1. David Steinberg had his first crossword puzzle published in The New York Times at the age of 14. Now almost 16 years old, one of his hobbies is directing The Pre-Shortzian Puzzle Project, digging up decades of old Times puzzles and converting them into electronic files. The growing collection of completed files can be found on xwordinfo.com (solve using Across Lite).

2. Anydate.com, an outfit that packages vintage New York Times stuff, offered to send me a free copy of their crossword collection in exchange for a link to their site. But I already owned that package, so they sent me their front-page presidential inaugurations historic collection instead.

I did my duty by including a link to their site, but I’m going a bit above and beyond here since I really love these old papers. Beyond the articles, it’s kinda fascinating to see how the design and price of the paper has changed through the years, as well as all the quirky ads and graphics.

170. 60 Years of MAD (One of Them Not Bad)

Get a spot ready in front of your TV. On October 28th CBS Sunday Morning will air a 60th-anniversary visit to MAD magazine’s offices [here it is].

Here are some behind-the-scenes photos from the day the piece was filmed (I was on hand for part of it).

After you’ve finished rewatching the TV segment in slow motion on your DVR, hustle over to your local bookstore to camp out for the October 30th release of the 256-page book Totally MAD: 60 Years of Humor, Satire, Stupidity and Stupidity ($20.01 on Amazon—cheap!).

According to MAD’s press release, “The date when booksellers start slapping that giant ’75% Off’ sticker on the front cover obscuring the book’s title has not yet been determined.”

168. Keep That Resolution

Available January 1 [now, December 18]. Forget The Honeymooners reruns and bowl games. Remember your “more exercise” resolution by running to the store first thing on New Year’s Day to pick up your copy of Chicken Games & Puzzles.

“This collection of 100 chicken-themed challenges is really something to cluck about! Kids ages 6 to 9 will love these amusingly illustrated mazes, codes, brainteasers, logic puzzles, word searches, jokes and riddles, tongue twisters, and picture puzzles.”

Puzzles by Patrick Merrell and Helene Hovanec; illustration and design by Patrick Merrell; edited by Lisa Hiley.

Click on the cover to find out more on amazon.com ($9.95). 144 pages. From Storey Publishing.

167. The Puzzler Shrine

A look at my home away from home in the Time-Life Building when putting the People Puzzler books together:

Atop my custom-made cardboard canopy (created from two Fedex boxes) is a white-paper pyramid that alerts unsuspecting passersby that this is The Puzzler Shrine.

166. Puzzler!

Available now. An extra-festive holiday section plus Rooney, Clooney, London (the city, that is), The Avengers, U.S. presidents, Kate, Bradley, Adele, daytime TV, fashion designers, Hamm, Depp, White (Betty, that is), goodbye Desperate Housewives, hello The Hunger Games, Gosling, Deschanel, Vergara, and on and on and on.

Puzzles (70 pages, 7 varieties) and art direction by Patrick Merrell; edited by the two and only Cutler Durkee and Lisa Russell; tons of photos via Linda Pacheco. But, wait, there’s more — trivia, quizzes, celebrity fun-fact pages, “Second Look” picture puzzles, and 10 classic crosswords from the pages of People magazine. 128 pages.

Click on the cover to find out more on amazon.com, including a look inside ($8.64—cheap!). From Time Home Entertainment.

165. Beginner Mazes

Available this fall exclusively on Scholastic’s book clubs. Illustrated mazes in the form of a story. Written, illustrated, designed by Patrick Merrell; edited by Roy Wandelmaier, Steve Metzger. Pre-K, K, 1; 32 pages each.