Jigsaws
The word “jigsaw” has many
meanings. It is a type of mechanical
saw, used by early puzzle makers to cut wooden jigsaw puzzles. It also means “to arrange or place in an
intricate or interlocking way.”
Detectives are also frequently referred to as jigsaws since they put the
pieces of a mystery together to solve it.
In the spirit of the old British
saying that “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away”...I would like to
think that old jigsaw puzzle addicts never die – they just live life “on the
edge” and then they go to pieces!
My favorite jigsaw puzzle
links
Association
of Game and Puzzle Collectors
BePuzzled Mystery Jigsaw Puzzles
History of Jigsaw Puzzles (from
puzzlehistory.com)
Jigsaw Jungle – Canadian dealer covering
a variety of manufacturers
Jigsaw
Puzzles – A Brief History – by Anne D. Williams
Jigsaw Puzzles With an Added Twist
Jigsaw Puzzles Worldwide –
good site for locating address and phone numbers for puzzle companies
List of
Jigsaw Puzzles Related to Mysteries
Purchasing
Tips for Older Jigsaw Puzzles
Puzzle House – “upscale, high quality,
hard to find puzzles”
Detective stuff
Bibliomania: Mystery, Crime and Spy Books – resources
for mystery book buffs
Bibliomysteries Detectives – books relating to
librarian or bibliophilic detectives
CSI:
Crime Scene Investigation – official CBS website for the TV show –
the handbook link has a lot of cool scientific info
Happy-Hollisters.com: The Unofficial
Happy Hollisters Site – children’s book series by
Jerry West
Jigsaw Jones –
children’s book series by James Preller
Librarians in Fiction - explores
portrayals of librarians in selected works of fiction, notably those involving
mystery or detection.
Ultimate
Mystery/Detective Web Guide
Ever wonder “why” human beings are so addicted to puzzles and
mysteries?
For some,
puzzles are entertaining diversions from life’s weighty problems. An overabundance of curiosity and the need
for intellectual stimulation drives others to spend days/years unraveling the
most complex mysteries. Add an
insatiable competitive spirit to the mix and suddenly popular detective shows
like Perry Mason, Murder She Wrote, and Magnum PI have groups of people
gathered around a television trying to figure out “who dun
it” before everyone else in the room.
CSI takes this one step further and provides a good deal of intellectual
stimulation mixed with some stunning visual effects.
Suggested readings:
Danesi,
Marcel. The Puzzle Instinct: the meaning of puzzles in human life.
At
the beginning of the book, Danesi postulates that
“puzzles and mysteries are intrinsically intertwined in human life...they
appeal to people for the very same reason –- they generate a feeling of
suspense that calls out for relief....unraveling the solution to a mystery
story or to a puzzle seems to produce a kind of ‘mental catharsis,’ since
people typically feel a sense of relief from suspense when they find the answer
to the mystery or puzzle....humans seem to need this kind of catharsis on a
regular basis.” Throughout the remainder
of the book, he covers a wide range of other possible reasons such as genetics,
evolution, philosophy, and psychology.
Dawkins, R. Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion, and the Appetite for Wonder.
Sternberg,
R.J., and J.E. Davidson. “The
Mind of the Puzzler,” Psychology Today,
June 1982, p. 37-44.
Stewart,
I., and J. Cohen. Figments of Reality: The Evolution of the Curious Mind.
Links checked: January 8, 2009
Text updated: March 16, 2007
©2003-2007, Lorrie Pellack
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