Riddle Me This: A World Treasury of Word Puzzles Folk Wisdom and Literary Conundrums

by Phil Cousineau

For at least 6000 years the riddle has been held in high esteem. This eclectic collection of 300 brain twisters ranges from the Sphinxes to the Ozarks, Leonardo da Vinci to Lewis Carroll, and is designed to bring riddling back into our homes and daily lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Folklore

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Phil Cousineau is a writer, teacher, editor, independent scholar, documentary filmmaker, travel leader, and storyteller. The author of more than 30 nonfiction books, Cousineau has more than 15 documentary screenwriting credits to his name, including the 1991 Academy Award-nominated Forever Activists. His life-long fascination with art, literature, and the history of culture has taken him on many journeys around the world; one of his bestselling books is The Art of Pilgrimage, inspired by his many years of meaningful travels.

Born in an army hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, Cousineau grew up in Detroit, and has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 30 years. American mythologist Joseph Campbell was a mentor and major influence; Cousineau wrote the documentary film and companion book about Campbell's life, "The Hero's Journey." The “omnipresent influence of myth in modern life” is a thread that runs through all of his work. He lectures frequently on a wide range of topics--from mythology, film, and writing, to sports, creativity, travel, art, and beauty. Currently he is the host of the much-praised “inner travel” television series, Global Spirit, on Link TV and PBS, and is finishing a book on beauty.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a scale of 1 to 5 I would give this book a 10. I have always been a very intelligent person and yet I have never been able to enjoy or even understand riddles. They didn’t make sense to me as a child, and yet are so like the puzzles that I hugely enjoy.

I have always wondered why I did not connect to riddles, and have wanted to resolve that because I think that I would enjoy them if I just found that key. This book is that key.

The author takes the time to introduce the reader to the reason for riddles, the delight of them, how they work, and how they can be enjoyed. Perfect for me. He also includes a list of sources so that the reader can continue to find riddles from all around the world.

I am proud to say (and I mean that – proud) that when I got to the riddles themselves I solved the very first one! More than that I am thoroughly enjoying going through the riddles and trying to find as many possible answers as I can for each one. For that is what I was missing: riddles are one of those things where “the joy is in the journey“. The fun is in finding as many answers as possible that might fit the riddle and then choosing the one that best fits.

I have to admit that even the author’s bio was interesting as well as the acknowledgments.

I’m so glad to find this book. I regret that the world seems to be losing its appreciation for the precision of language. Riddles and other games that rely on metaphors and multiple meanings require some knowledge of language, so I hope they catch on again and are not lost. This books certainly will help with that.

[Vic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull. Very few riddles I could relate to. Some worthwhile analysis and categorization.

[Jaz Pawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book!
Forces you to think!!

It's notto read but enjoy one riddle at time!!!

[Joseph Mok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, though some riddles were too cryptic in my humble opinion. That is shows my lack of knowledge, probably the latter. Two thumbs up!