Author:Gareth Moore
Want to keep your brain active and in trim? Challenge your mind with The Penguin Book of Puzzles . . .
From the riddles of the ancients to puzzles that perplex the greatest minds of today, The Penguin Book of Puzzles is a glorious compendium of conundrums from throughout history.
These challenges will require all the reader's wits to solve, but range from the easy to the brain-bending and are suitable for novice and veteran puzzlers alike.
There is something here to suit every taste, including crosswords, mathematical challenges, word games andlogic conundrums, but also some intriguing types of puzzles that have been unearthed from centuries gone by.
Hours of fun await you in this timeless and entertaining miscellany of puzzlement.
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A Sumerian Riddle (circa 18th Century)
There is a house. The blind enter it and then come out seeing. What is that house?
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A Charade
I have wings, yet never fly -
I have sails, yet never go -
I cant keep still, if I try,
Yet forever stand just so.
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A charming essay...packed with facts and literary asides...Lewis-Stempel has a wonderful way with words...he also packs the book with the singing, ringing words of others.
—— Robbie Millen , The TimesBest of the year's Natural History: one of our finest nature writers with an essay length portrait of a bird that has fascinated humans for millennia.
—— Mail on SundayJohn Lewis-Stempel is the hottest nature writer around.
—— John McEwen , SpectatorIn this short, beautiful little book, the farmer and nature writer introduces us to the wisdom of owls.. every question you might ask ... is answered with economy and insight and the cultural references and quotations are as rich as you would expect from this brilliant writer.
—— Bel Mooney , Daily MailJohn is one of this country's greatest nature writers...this is a unique look at the Owl's of Britain in both word and verse...some incredible facts... a wonderful little book for anyone who wants to know a little more of some of our most secret of birds and ones that should be celebrated.
—— The Last WordEat to live for ever (well nearly)!
—— The Daily MirrorIf you're super busy, try [the] fasting-mimicking diet
—— HealthyWith a five-day fasting plan, eating well can also help to turn back your biological clock
—— Women's OwnThis is an exhilarating book that will change the way we think about AI, intelligence, and the future of humanity.
—— Bart Selman, Professor of Computer Science, Cornell UniversityTegmark successfully gives clarity to the many faces of AI, creating a highly readable book [...] Enjoy the ride, and you will come out the other end with a greater appreciation of where people might take technology and themselves in the years ahead.
—— ScienceStands out ... Tegmark explains brilliantly many concepts in fields from computing to cosmology, writes with intellectual modesty and subtlety, does the reader the important service of defining his terms clearly, and rightly pays homage to the creative minds of science-fiction writers who were, of course, addressing these kinds of questions more than half a century ago. It's often very funny, too.
—— Steven Poole , The TelegraphFascinating ... for sheer science fun, it's hard to beat
—— Stuart Russell , NatureLucid and engaging [...] Tegmark's explanation of how electronic circuitry - or a human brain - could produce something as evanescent and immaterial as thought is both elegant and enlightening.
—— Frank Rose , Wall Street JournalIt should be among the most important items on our political agenda. Unfortunately, AI has so far hardly registered on our political radar ... Max Tegmark's Life 3.0 tries to rectify the situation. Written in an accessible and engaging style, and aimed at the general public, the book offers a political and philosophical map of the promises and perils of the AI revolution. Instead of pushing any one agenda or prediction, Tegmark seeks to cover as much ground as possible, reviewing a wide variety of scenarios concerning the impact of AI on the job market, warfare and political systems. Life 3.0 does a good job of clarifying basic terms and key debates, and in dispelling common myths.
—— Yuval Noah Harari , The GuardianTegmark's smart, freewheeling discussion leads to fascinating speculations on AI-based civilizations spanning galaxies and eons-and knotty questions: Will our digital overlords be conscious? Will they coddle us with abudance and virtual-reality idylls or exterminate us with bumblebee-size attack robots? While digerati may be enthralled by the idea of superintelligent civilizations where "beautiful theorems" servce as the main economic resource, Tegmark's future will strike many as a one in which, at best, humans are dependent on AI-powered technology and, at worst, are extinct... Love it or hate it, it's an engrossing forecast.
—— Publishers Weekly'I view this conversation about the future of AI as the most important one of our time,' he writes. Life 3.0 might convince even those who believe that AI is overhyped to join in.
—— Clive Cookson , Financial TimesExplores one of the most intriguing scientific frontiers, artificial general intelligence, and how humans can grow along with it. ... most will find the narrative irresistible.
—— Kirkus ReviewsFantastic
—— Irish Independent[A] handsome hardback full of fascinating facts about space and women behind space exploration. Colourful illustrations and great writing
—— Sarah WebbA brilliantly readable history of space exploration
—— Scoop Magazine