The Master Theorem - A Book of Puzzles, Intrigue and Wit Paperback – July 1, 2019

Given as a gift.

I remember when I stumbled upon The Master Theorem site in 2011. I was late to the game, but TMT reminded me of the early days of the internet - when there was always something lurking & exciting (& *SECRET*).The Master Theorem or TMT was a *SECRET SOCIETY* of Solvers, with someone named M at the helm who claimed to be a Columbia University smartypants that helped the FBI solve crimes. M was alluring, smart & snarky - it was likely the intrigue of M that brought most of us back week after week, not *just* the puzzles. New theorems were released Midnight on Thursdays & I would stay up eagerly every Wednesday to try my best to solve quickly.On the website the puzzles would range from a Rebus style Picture Puzzle to more (annoyingly difficult) Riddles to interactive graphs, scavenger hunts, etc. Sometimes the theorems would be so simple I would assume it was a trick. Other times they were so maddening I would feel like tossing my computer out the window.I even was asked to be a "tester" for the Theorems - which was a shock to me because I was never at a top ranking. I was in the low 600s of the Solver Ranking list, but how exciting to be a part of a truly unique part of Internet Puzzling / Sleuthing!Needless to say, I was very sad when TMT came to an end. Until this book came out! I have quickly been reminded of how fun the Theorem Life is & how humbling.If you think you need to be a MENSA smarty pants for this, allow me to assuage that fear for you: I am not MENSA level solver, I went to Art School. If I get stumped, I use the clues in the back (as I did on the site) albeit sparingly, in hopes they will give my brain a little nudge to think of things in a different light. If you enjoy crosswords & wordplay, rebus puzzles, trivia, etc this is the book for you!

This book's a real gem, I've been loving it!

I am a big puzzle fan but these make me think quite a lot. sometimes the thought process is obscure, but the answers are reasonable

I was accidentally sent a used book, but the seller was prompt with responding to my inquiry about it and had great customer service with rectifying the situation!The book itself has been enjoyable with a variety of puzzles of varying difficulties. I haven’t finished the book yet, but of the ones I’ve done so far, some were pretty easy and some left me stumped for a while. All in all, I’m happy with my purchase.

I love puzzles but I don’t want all the cookie cutter sudoku, crossword, or God forbid, word searches. I purchased several Mensa puzzle books thinking this would satiate my puzzle lust which it did at first but within the Mensa books there are really only 5 or 6 puzzle formats that get copied and changed throughout the book.That’s not the case with this book. This book has very different puzzle challenges and each one is different than the last! This will keep me occupied for awhile.

I got this book for my mom. She is a former computer programmer, loves puzzles and I had no idea what to get her for Christmas. I was worried the puzzles would be super easy and she would just fly through it, but some of the puzzles were really challenging! You can do them alone or work as a group. For reference, we had a 65 year old, 44 year old and 20 year old doing the puzzles together and everyone loved the book!

Love this so far!! I’ve only done the training puzzles and maybe the first five puzzles but I’m digging it. I’m a hardcore escape room enthusiast, so I love puzzles, even though I’mnot very good at them. A lot of enthusiasts love Journal 29. Blech! That thing was impossible for me. Even when I had the actual answer, half the time I couldn’t see how anyone would get that answer or where.These puzzles on the other hand, are great! They make you think! I had to come back to one the next day because I was racking my brain. With the narrative that points you in the right direction, it’s logical and fun. Not so obscure, but hard enough to be a challenge.I recommend this to puzzle lovers everywhere. Can’t wait to solve some more!!