title: Puzzles, Brainteasers & Mathematical Diversions: A Definitive Collection of the Best Puzzles Ever Devised
author: Erwin Brechers PhD
description: <b>Erwin Brecher</b> has writtenmany books, including <i>How Do You Walk on Fire?</i>, <i>Lateral Thinking Posers</i>, and <i>Lateral Thinking Puzzles</i>. He is a member of Mensa.
zlib_text: INTROD
  UC TION
  What’s the point of a puzzle? For some, it is the enjoyment of
  working at a challenge and coming up with an answer. For others,
  looking up the solutions is at least as much fun as attempting the
  puzzles themselves. This is because the best puzzles often have
  surprising short cuts or unexpected twists in their solutions. In that
  respect, the solution to a good puzzle is like the punchline to a good
  joke.
  This collection of puzzles is drawn heavily from two collections of
  Brainteasers and Mindbenders that we produced for Guinness back
  in the 1990s. We’ve picked out our favourites, but for this new
  edition we’ve also added several puzzles that we haven’t used before.
  A few of the puzzles in this book are old favourites because many
  people like to be reminded of the classics. The majority of the
  puzzles, however, will be unfamiliar to most readers.
  Many of the puzzles can be solved after only a few moments
  thought – though sometimes the ones that seem simplest are the
  ones w