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:
June 17, 2007
Text updated:
March 16, 2007
©2003-2007, Lorrie Pellack - Send questions or comments about this
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