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.