Top 10 Books About Mechanical Puzzles Worth Reading

People have been solving mechanical puzzles for centuries. From slide and combination boxes with hidden compartments to complex contraptions, these enigmas present irresistible challenges, inviting you to unlock their mysteries and decipher their secrets.

Besides the excitement and intrigue of mechanical puzzles’ captivating world, manipulating their physical parts is ideal for exercising your brain. After all, they require deductive reasoning, helping you flex your cognitive muscles and improve problem-solving skills.

Is your curious mind thirsty for more mechanical puzzles, including the art of creating them? Check out the books below, each a must-have for mechanical puzzle enthusiasts.

1. Puzzles Old and New

Professor Hoffmann’s Puzzles Old and New features a collection of 400+ puzzles, including 52 mechanical puzzles. It’s an illustrated catalog with descriptions and solutions of most classical puzzles people enjoyed in Victorian London. It’s perfect for puzzle designers, collectors, and anyone looking to create or learn to solve puzzles.

Pro tip: Try finding the rare Centenary Edition or a newer reprint because some editions don’t contain all the puzzles from the original 1893 book.

1. AP-ART – A Compendium of Puzzle Designs

Stewart T. Coffin’s AP-ART – A Compendium of Puzzle Designs is another excellent collection of 400+ mechanical puzzles, including their descriptions, photos, and construction drawings. It shows wooden geometric puzzles like cubes, prisms, and other shapes with symmetrical and non-symmetrical pieces.

The best part? You can find many of these models (the author has designed them himself) and make them using Coffin’s detailed instructions.

1. The 15 Puzzle: How It Drove the World Crazy

The famous 15 Puzzle started a worldwide puzzle craze in 1880 and has baffled people ever since. Authors Jerry Slocum and Dic Sonneveld dive into the mysterious world of this seemingly impossible sliding mechanical puzzle, exploring its history and long-lasting societal impact.

Have you ever solved the mind-boggling 15 Puzzle? Some can do it in seconds! However, don’t watch online tutorial videos before getting yourself a model and a copy of this book (which features several arrangements and solutions). 

Put your brain muscles to work and try solving the puzzle without help. Mastering it that way will give you a greater sense of accomplishment.

1. Puzzles 101: A Puzzlemaster’s Challenge

The world-famous puzzlemaster Nobuyuki Yoshigahara invented many mathematical and mechanical puzzles and wrote many related books. His Puzzles 101: A Puzzlemaster’s Challenge is a fantastic read, featuring many visual and physical puzzles and head-scratchers that the award-winning author designed.

The best part is the solutions are in a separate section. That’s perfect because where’s the fun if you can immediately see how to solve the puzzles?

1. Puzzle Craft

Puzzle Craft is another mesmerizing book by Stewart T. Coffin, featuring many interlocking puzzles, including mechanical, polyhedral, burr, and geometric. It’s a treasure trove for puzzle enthusiasts, who can enjoy Coffin’s 80 original designs, among other modern and old puzzles.

The book also contains woodworking techniques, making it ideal for novice and seasoned puzzle designers.

1. Early Japanese Export Puzzles

Jerry Slocum brings another book for mechanical puzzle enthusiasts, focusing on Japanese wooden interlocking puzzles, trick boxes, and puzzle banks. Slocum and co-author Rik van Grol showcase various old contraptions the US imported from Japan between the 1860s and 1960s, exploring their history and designs.

This short but exciting read is excellent for anyone eager to learn the history of the Japanese Kumiki puzzles and other designs, complete with high-quality photographs and illustrations.

1. Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All

Ernő Rubik, the inventor of the iconic Rubik’s Cube, brings us closer to his creative thought process that birthed the most famous mechanical puzzle ever in Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All. This fascinating book walks us through the author’s memory lane, pulling us into his curious mind and enchanting us with his lifetime of discovery and imagination.

The book has little information on Rubik’s creation of the Cube and less on solving it. Still, delving into its history and enduring cultural impact makes for an immersive read.

1. Puzzlecraft: How to Make Every Kind of Puzzle

Puzzle designers Mike Selinker and Thomas Snyder (you may know him as Dr. Sudoku) have assembled this ultimate guide to creating and solving puzzles. You can find step-by-step instructions for logic, perception, word, interactive, mechanical, and other puzzles across 100 sections.

The book has everything from sudoku, minesweeper, riddles, and crosswords to hidden puzzles, escape rooms, geocaches, and mechanical brain teasers. It’s the go-to guide for avid puzzle creators, equipping them with the knowledge to craft any puzzle.

1. The Anchor Puzzle Book

The Anchor Puzzle Book is perfect for Richter puzzle fans, featuring 5,000+ puzzle diagrams, including their problem silhouettes and solutions. 

Jerry Slocum and Dieter Gebhardt collaborated with Jack Botermans, Harold Raizer, and Dic Sonneveld (among others) to create this extensive collection, dedicating it to the celebrated Nobuyuki Yoshigahara and his family.

The book takes you on an enthralling 120-year-long journey through the creation of the Anchor Stone puzzle and its variations. You can find 37 of those puzzles and their 650+ problems, among other Richter puzzles, including the first Chinese Tangram.

1. Compendium of Mechanical Puzzles From Catalogs

This reading list wouldn’t be complete without Jerry Slocum’s Compendium of Mechanical Puzzles From Catalogs. It’s an illustrated collection of 500+ puzzles available between 1785 and 1946, making it an excellent reference book for puzzle collectors.

It contains drawings of interlocking, disentanglement, put-together, take-apart, dexterity, sequential movement, and miscellaneous puzzles. There’s also one page with several boxed puzzle sets from the 20th century. 

You won’t find detailed instructions and solutions (which doesn’t make the book less compelling), but you’ll gain insight into many antique puzzles.

Top Mechanical Puzzles You Should Try in 2024

Mechanical puzzles have come a long way from wooden boxes, polyhedral puzzles, and other interlocking contraptions. You can now enjoy many shape and material variations, including 3D metal puzzles, which are all the rage nowadays. You can even customize 3D metal puzzles, making them perfect options for personalized gifts.

? This 3D metal butterfly puzzle is ideal for mechanical puzzle enthusiasts with a flair for everything cyberpunk. It takes 3.5 hours to assemble and can be a mesmerizing addition to any desk or shelf.

Not a sci-fi fan? Check out Vivillon, a 3D metal puzzle featuring a more realistic butterfly. However, don’t let its design simplicity fool you; it has 125 intricate pieces, making for an exciting assembly. It also includes three pairs of magnetic wings, letting you swap them to revamp your butterfly’s style.

Conclusion

Whether solving antique or modern mechanical puzzles, you can enjoy a thrilling adventure as you manipulate their pieces to unravel their mysteries. They open the door to a marvelous universe of art, intricate design, creativity, exploration, and discovery.

The brilliant books above are your excellent starting point as an aspiring puzzle creator, solver, or collector. They’re also fantastic wells of inspiration for puzzle experts and knowledge sources for history buffs. Therefore, pick your favorite and set sail for an extraordinary expedition.