Book of Puzzlements Author:Herbert R. Kohl A Book of Puzzlements: Play and Invention with Language (from the back cover) — From A Book of Puzzlements -- There are some words that have interesting compinatorial characteristics. For example, there are certain words (or sentences) that read the same backward and forward. They are called palindromes. An old joke claims tht Adam's first wo... more »rds to Eve were in the form of a palindrome. He was supposed to have said, "Madam, I'm Adam." Going beyond Dick and Jane simplicity, here are a few classical palindromes: WAS IT A RAT I SAW? LIVE NOT ON EVIL. A MAN, A PLAN, A CANAL--PANAMA! NO LEMONS, NO MELON. NO EVIL, LIVE ON!
"This is the most varied, ingenious, informative, and altogether delightful collectionof word games and puzzles that I have seen. Ideal for (among others) families teaching children at home (or anywhere), A treasure house for all ages." --John Holt, author of Teach Your Own and editor of Growing WIthout Schooling
"Puzzlements is a quickening of the mental life. This wonderful collection of linguistic and rehetorical puzzles, old and new, gleams in the light of Kohl's technical logical skills, practical teaching expereince,exuberant whi and immense good humor. If most schoolteachers knew how to play with language this lovingly, joyfully and, hence seriously, the schools might work better." -- John Hollander, editor of Poems of Our Moment and Modern Poetry.« less