Introduction to Number Puzzles

A new gaming experience unveils itself, one involving the use of numbers to find letters which beget words. This experience is called number puzzles, or number jumblers. Many players, no doubt, have experience with the word jumblers and cryptoquotes found in the local newspapers. The purpose is to find words and/or expressions. Number puzzles and number jumblers combine these two concepts with the increased difficulty of letters replaced by numbers.

An underlying factor behind number puzzles is to improve logic skills. In order to assist in this endeavor, starters (identified with asterisks or * which, in some cases also lead to keys for the letters in the starters for which the numbers stand, in the correct order of the letters appearing in the word and/or expression) are provided in most of the 50+ sets of puzzles. These starters are the actual correct words and/or expressions beside a jumbled set of numbers. A few of the starters are indicated by bold-printed sets of numbers. Some of the puzzles include one starter, while other puzzles include two or more.

This volume appears divided into three levels, each of increasing difficulty.

While most of the puzzles revolve around mere translation of the numbers into the proper words and/or expressions, a few puzzles involve word searches, poetry and an entire paragraph. These appear in the higher levels; therefore, the players have little reason to be concerned, except with solving the puzzles of course.

A few of the puzzles have internal directions.

To further aid the reader or the player, clues are provided in titles often times. For instance, some of the titles betray the pattern of the numbers appearing in the puzzles. Most titles, of course, describe the actual nature of the puzzles--uncovering names or simple words or what not.

Good luck will be necessary for the player to solve these items. None of the puzzles are easy, and some of them will be mortifyingly difficult.

These puzzles are designed to improve logic skills, an essential component to intelligence, as what occurred with the author of this work. The author, Ryan Sloan, after scoring an 89 on the WISC-III IQ test when he was eight years old, embarks on a lifetime journey to improve his intellect and does so with numbers. The end result is this book that the reader is about to explore.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

            I acknowledge all of the teachers and the college professors who sacrifice to educate us. They function as parents outside of our home. In essence, they act as alma maters and as alma paters.