Cryptogram-a-Day Book

by Louise B. Moll

Test your wits with a cryptogram for every day of the year! Start the year with this FXA SRZ YNJIJS UC SRZ YZXYUT VOXEEZT AUHI RZXIS XTE TUHIJYR AUHI YUHO. (MAY THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON GLADDEN YOUR HEART AND NOURISH YOUR SOUL). Solutions are cleverly scattered to prevent easy cheating. 128 pages, 5 3/8 x 8 1/4.

Genres: Nonfiction, Puzzles

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Rachael J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm very disappointed by the choice of quotations. Most have a conservative message. Many are religious. Many are sexist. Only roughly 22/365 quotations are by nonwhite people or proverbs attributed to a nonwhite ethnicity or culture (if you count Jewish as a nonwhite ethnicity, I say roughly here because the boundary of whiteness is so vague and dubious anyway). Only 20 were by women. Only 2 quotations were from queer people, well from one queer person, Oscar Wilde. I can't enjoy doing cryptograms if I don't like the quotes I am rewarded with when I solve the puzzle. These quotes are often right-wing or religious propaganda that makes me roll my eyes, cringe, or grimace. One of the women quoted is Ayn Rand. Of the nonwhite quotations, that includes like 4 from Confucius. Many of the men being quoted are obscure, I had to look them up. If a woman or nonwhite person is quoted, they're usually very famous, like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Gandhi. There were so many quotes that use masculine nouns and pronouns when speaking about all of humanity. The only ones that used inclusive language were the few that were by women. But even one of the quotes by a woman was still sexist. I simply cannot enjoy this book since most of the quotes don't seem relevant to the times.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best things I like about Louise B. Moll's cryptogram books is that she provides a wonderful tutorial at the beginning of each book entitled "How to Use This Book." It isn't really about using the book; it is, however, about how to unscramble the codes to come up with the solutions. In my opinion, it is the most valuable page in the book. Never skip it!
Pros: Moll's books are organized well, so it is easy to find the Solutions section. (There is no Hints sections so you either figure out the puzzles on your own or you get stumped and look up the decoded puzzle at the back of the book.) They are all numbered so that is easy enough to do.
Cons: I really wished her books came with spiral bindings. It is difficult to work the puzzles on your lap or while standing because the books don't open up wide enough to easily write the decoded letters. You have to sit at a table and push the book spine down hard to write on the pages.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun.