The 15 Puzzle: How it Drove the World Crazy

Sam Loyd's claim he invented The 15 Puzzle was a total lie... The research by the authors is awesome. -- Martin Gardner, letter Feb. 11, 2006

This is a monumental work which resolves one of the great historical puzzles of puzzledom. -- Professor David Singmaster, letter March 3, 2006

This is a visual delight iand sets incredible new standards in historical research about the world's fascinating puzzles. -- Professor Don Knuth, Stanford, letter Feb. 10, 2006
Product Description
This book contains the definitive, illustrated history of one of the most popular and important mechanical puzzles of all time. It can be argued that the Fifteen Puzzle in 1880 had the greatest impact on American and European society during of any mechanical puzzle the world has ever known.
Books by famous mathematicians tell that a deaf mute invented the 15 puzzle, but encyclopedias, other books and web sites say it was invented by Sam Loyd who Martin Gardner called "America’s greatest puzzle designer". Or has Sam Loyd, who said he invented the puzzle, continued to fool the world for more than 100 years?

The true story of the puzzle is told here for the first time.
• The real inventor and his patent application records were found.
• The story of how the puzzle came to be manufactured.
• Proof that the 15 puzzle is mathematically impossible to solve.
• How a young New Yorker solved it.
• The worldwide puzzle craze that it created.