Square Peg Think Twice Solve the Simple Puzzles (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong.

by Alex Bellos

Think Twice Solve the Simple Puzzles (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong ABISBOOK Square Peg.

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

Published September 5, 2024

About the author

"I was born in Oxford and grew up in Edinburgh and Southampton. After studying mathematics and philosophy at university I joined the Evening Argus in Brighton as a trainee reporter. I joined the Guardian in 1994 as a reporter and in 1998 moved to Rio de Janeiro, where I spent five years as the paper’s South America correspondent. Since 2003 I have lived in London, as a freelance writer and broadcaster.

[...]

In 2003 I presented a five-part series on Brazil for the BBC, called Inside Out Brazil. My short films about the Amazon have been broadcast on the BBC, More 4 and Al Jazeera International."

Reviews

[Popup-ch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of puzzles that have an obvious, but incorrect, solution.

Such as the classic "A Ball and a Bat cost $110; the bat is $100 more than the ball. How much is the ball?" and some similar mindbenders. Most of them are reasonably obvious once you start thinking about them - but what is interesting is how quickly the human brain jumps to the wrong conclusions, and how difficult it is to 'think again', once the brain has found a potential solution.

Another one: "We're in a race, and I'm in second place. You overtake me. What place are you in?"

[Toni M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love puzzles and the ones in this book are great! They truly do make you think twice, and the explanations after the puzzles are so interesting!

Thank you @squarepegbooks and @vintagebooks for kindly sending me this copy!