A delightful, erudite, and immersive exploration of the crossword puzzle and its fascinating history from a brilliant young writer.

A delightful, erudite, and immersive exploration of the crossword puzzle and its fascinating history from a brilliant young writer

Equal parts ingenious and fun, Thinking Inside the Box 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.

The 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 New York World 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.

Blending 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; aboard a crossword-themed cruise; and in the home of New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz.

'Diverting, informative and discursive'
Editors' Choice, New York Times Book Review

'This enjoyable survey illuminates many lesser-known aspects of a wildly popular pastime'
Publishers Weekly

For crossword puzzlers of every ilk, from solvers of the Monday-edition no-brainer to pencil-chewing addicts of the cryptic, Thinking Inside the Box is a gold mine of revelations. If there is a pantheon of cruciverbalist scholars, Adrienne Raphel has established herself squarely within it.