Figures for Fun: Stories, Puzzles and Conundrums

by Yakov Perelman

"Does your brain need a workout? Are you wondering what to do? Well this could be the book for you! This is a great book for anyone who is looking for a challenge and, if you get too stuck, the author kindly also provided the answers at the end of each chapter!" — Splashes Into Books
Give your mind a playful workout with this collection of more than 100 inventive puzzles. Finding the solutions requires only minimal mathematical knowledge and will test your imagination as well as your brainpower. The motley collection ranges from conundrums and mathematical stunts to practical situations involving counting and measuring. Chess problems, magic squares, and a host of other intriguing scenarios will amuse and challenge puzzle enthusiasts and fans of recreational mathematics. Answers appear at the end of each chapter.
These puzzles are the inventions of a gifted Soviet mathematician, Yakov Perelman, whose popular science books on astronomy, physics, and mathematics inspired generations of readers. Perelman's distinctive style, abounding in wit and ingenuity, adds a special flair to his timeless riddles and brainteasers.

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2015

About the author

Yakov Isidorovich Perelman (Russian: Яков Исидорович Перельман; December 4, 1882 – March 16, 1942) was a Russian and Soviet science writer and author of many popular science books, including Physics Can Be Fun and Mathematics Can Be Fun (both translated from Russian into English).

Reviews

[JustHB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having learned Russian and read several Russian authors, I can see where this is coming from. However, it is not sudoku or anything similar. Whilst I did enjoy some of the puzzles, they were old-fashioned, with some requiring knowledge of mathematics to solve.