Intriguing Lateral Thinking Puzzles

Learn to "think laterally" and you'll solve pesky puzzles like this one about killer shoes: A woman bought a new pair of shoes and then went to work. She died. Why? Got it? Here's a clue: She died because she wore the new shoes. Still stumped? The answer: She was a blindfolded knife-thrower's assistant in a circus. Her new shoes had much higher heels than her normal shoes, so his usual unerring aim with the knife killed her.That's the way it works: a mysterious situation with no apparent solution; a clue that will solve the puzzle if you know what to do with it; finally, the answer.

With 110 of these strange happenings that cry out for an explanation, you can come to the rescue when you learn to see what the clue means. These puzzles start out fairly easy ("killer shoes" is considered easy) and the clues get more and more tantalizingly hard to figure out. They come in five sections: Dangerous and Deadly (to lure you in), Easy and Elementary (to build your confidence), Interesting and Intriguing (to sharpen your skills), Chastening and Challenging (to try your patience), and Fascinating and Fiendish (to turn you into a champion). Just when you're on a roll, here comes a "Wally Test," a series of rapid-fire questions to make sure you're paying attention--Q: How many successful jumps does a U.S. Army parachutist trainee have to make to graduate? (A: all of them.) Q: What is the invention, first discovered in ancient times, which allows people to see through solid walls? (A: the window). The way to get good at lateral thinking is to keep your mind moving and not get stuck in blind alleys. Pretty practical after all!

Read all about "Lateral Thinking Puzzles"