One of our favorite insights from Will Shortz, puzzle editor of The New York Times, was how taking the time to solve a puzzle can be a respite from our complicated lives.

In an interview for a chapter on “How to Create a Mind-Bending Crossword Puzzle” in our book Shortz told us:

“We’re faced with problems every day in life, and most of them don’t have clear-cut solutions, so we just muddle through the best we can and move on to the next thing. But with a crossword, we’re challenging ourselves to create order out of chaos. Although you might think, ‘Boy, this is hard and I don’t really have time for it,’ it gives you a rush to fill in those last letters, and immediately . . . you want to do it again.”

 

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