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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Great Fun for the Casual Crossword Puzzle Fan!, 7 May 2004
Caution: This book contains coarse words that would never appear in The New York Times crossword puzzle.Most people who occasionally do crossword puzzles are bound to have certain questions such as: (1) How are the puzzles constructed? (2) What do editors do with puzzles submitted to them? (3) What were the famous puzzle editors like in person? (4) What do the best puzzle solvers do to make faster progress? (5) How to solvers prepare for contests? (6) What reference books do constructors and the best solvers use? (7) What are the most common short words used in puzzles? (8) How should unusual clues be interpreted? (9) How should I attack unusual puzzles? Those who have wanted to know more about these and many other interesting questions will find many interesting answers from a variety of perspectives in this multifaceted book. The book contains a fine combination of history, profiles, interviews, answers to common questions by many experts, and perspectives on a variety of crossword puzzles. In addition, you will be pleased to know that the book also provides a number of puzzles and answers to entertain you. For some of the famous puzzles, there are also comments about the puzzle by the constructor. My favorite part was the section on how to construct puzzles, with many references to computer programs and on-line resources to help. I have always wanted to try my hand at a puzzle, and this shows me the basic elements. I'm sure it will be very difficult, but personally rewarding. You will also find a good appendix on various resources, suggested readings, a glossary, a brief summary of factoids about words that appear frequently, and biographies and photographs of constructors and editors. The tone of the book is very down to | 
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