{"product_id":"thinking-inside-the-box-adventures-with-crosswords-and-the-puzzling-people-who-cant-live-without-them","title":"Thinking Inside the Box: Adventures with Crosswords and the Puzzling People Who Can't Live Without Them","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003eThinking Inside the Box is a book about the crossword puzzle that was invented in 1913. It has become a popular commercial success and has been an essential ingredient of any newspaper worth its salt since then. Adrienne Raphel dives into the secrets of this classic pastime, blending first-person reporting with a delightful telling of the crossword's rich literary history. She attends the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament and picks the brains of enthusiasts on a crossword-themed cruise. \u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003e                                                            \u003cstrong\u003eFormat\u003c\/strong\u003e: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e                              \u003cstrong\u003eLength\u003c\/strong\u003e: 304 pages\u003cbr\u003e                              \u003cstrong\u003ePublication date\u003c\/strong\u003e: 04 March 2021\u003cbr\u003e                              \u003cstrong\u003ePublisher\u003c\/strong\u003e: Little, Brown Book Group\u003cbr\u003e                          \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Beautifully researched account, full of humour and personal insight'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eDavid Crystal, author of \u003ci\u003eMaking Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A witty, wise, and wonderfully weird journey that will change the way you think . . . This book is a delight'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBianca Bosker, author of \u003ci\u003eCork Dork: A Wine-Fueled Adventure Among the Obsessive Sommeliers, Big Bottle Hunters, and Rogue Scientists Who Taught Me to Live for Taste\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Delightfully engrossing, charmingly and enthusiastically well-written history of the crossword puzzle' \u003c\/b\u003eBenjamin Dreyer, author of \u003ci\u003eDreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e 'Full of treasures, surprises and fun . . . richly bringing to life the quirky, obsessive, fascinating characters in the crossword world' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMary Pilon, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and the Scandal Behind the World's Favorite Board Game\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e   \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A gold mine of revelations. If there is a pantheon of cruciverbalist scholars, Adrienne Raphel has established herself squarely within it'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMary Norris, author of \u003ci\u003eBetween You \u0026amp; Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEqual parts ingenious and fun, \u003ci\u003eThinking Inside the Box\u003c\/i\u003e is a love letter to the infinite joys and playful possibilities of language, a treat for die-hard cruciverbalists and first-time crossword solvers alike.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe crossword is a feature of the modern world, inspiring daily devotion and obsession from millions. It was invented in 1913, almost by accident, when an editor at the \u003ci\u003eNew York World\u003c\/i\u003e was casting around for something to fill some empty column space for that year's Christmas edition. Almost overnight, crosswords became a phenomenal commercial success, and have been an essential ingredient of any newspaper worth its salt since then. Indeed, paradoxically, the popularity of crosswords has never been greater, even as the world of media and newspapers, the crossword's natural habitat, has undergone a dramatic digital transformation. But why, exactly, are the satisfactions of a crossword so sweet that over the decades they have become a fixture of breakfast tables, bedside tables and commutes, and even given rise to competitive crossword tournaments?\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBlending first-person reporting from the world of crosswords with a delightful telling of the crossword's rich literary history, Adrienne Raphel dives into the secrets of this classic pastime. At the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, she rubs shoulders with elite solvers from all over the world, doing her level best to hold her own; aboard a crossword-themed cruise she picks the brains of the enthusiasts whose idea of a good time is a week on the high seas with nothing to do but\u003cp\u003e                            \u003cstrong\u003eWeight\u003c\/strong\u003e: 238g                            \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimension\u003c\/strong\u003e: 345 x 198 x 27 (mm)                            \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/strong\u003e: 9781472144621                                                      \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Adrienne Raphel","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":44097827733754,"sku":"9781472144621","price":7.13,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0522\/4297\/2845\/products\/1b18afcee61f89402e58ea55deccdee8.jpg?v=1622171799","url":"https:\/\/shulphink.com\/products\/thinking-inside-the-box-adventures-with-crosswords-and-the-puzzling-people-who-cant-live-without-them","provider":"Shulph Ink","version":"1.0","type":"link"}