Crossworld
by Romano, Marc
Sixty-four million people do it at least once a week. Nabokov wrote about it. Bill Clinton even did it in the White House. The crossword puzzle has arguably been our national obsession since its birth almost a century ago. Now, in Crossworld, writer, translator, and lifelong puzzler Marc Romano goes where no Number 2 pencil has gone before, as he delves into the minds of the world's cleverest crossword creators and puzzlers, and sets out on his own quest to join their ranks.While covering the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament for the Boston Globe, Romano was amazed by the skill of the competitors and astonished by the cast of characters he came across--like Will Shortz, beloved editor of the New York Times puzzle and the only academically accredited "enigmatologist" (puzzle scholar); Stanley Newman, Newsday's puzzle editor and the fastest solver in the world; and Brendan Emmett Quigley, the wickedly gifted puzzle constructer and the Virgil to Marc's Dante in his travels through the crossword inferno.Chronicling his own journey into the world of puzzling--even providing tips on how to improve crosswording skills--Romano tells the story of crosswords and word puzzles themselves, and of the colorful people who make them, solve them, and occasionally become consumed by them. But saying this is a book about puzzles is to tell only half the story. It is also an explanation into what crosswords tell us about ourselves--about the world we live in, the cultures that nurture us, and the different ways we think and learn. If you're a puzzler, Crossworld will enthrall you. If you have no idea why your spouse send so much time filling letters into little white squares, Crossworld will tell you -- and with luck, save your marriage.CROSSWORLD | by Marc RomanoACROSS1. I am hopelessly addicted to the New York Times crossword puzzle.2. Like many addicts, I was reluctant to admit I have a problem.3. The hints I was heading for trouble came, at first, only occasionally.4. The moments of panic when I realized that I might not get my fix on a given day.5. The toll on relationships.6. The strained friendships.7. The lost hours I could have used to do something more productive.8. It gets worse, too.DOWN1.You're not just playing a game.2. You're constantly broadening your intellectual horizons.3. You spend a lot of time looking at and learning about the world around you.4. You have to if you want to develop the accumulated store of factual information you'll need to get through a crossword puzzle.5. Puzzle people are nice because they have to be.6. The more you know about the world, the more you tend to give all things in it the benefit of the doubt before deciding if you like them or not.7. I'm not saying that all crossword lovers are honest folk dripping with goodness. 8. I would say, though, that if I had to toss my keys and wallet to someone before jumping off a pier to save a drowning girl, I'd look for the fellow in the crowd with the daily crossword in his hand.From the Hardcover edition.
Reviews
Review this book!
Available Copies
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession.
by Romano, Marc .
- Condition
- Used - Very good
- Published
- 2005
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
- Item Price
-
A$11.50
Show Details
Description:
Broadway, 2005. Hardcover. Very good. hardcover in dust jacket, minor wear, binding tight, pages bright, a very nice copy! Item Price
A$11.50
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Marc Romano
- Condition
- Used - Very Good+
- Jacket Condition
- Very Good+
- Edition
- First Edition; First Printing
- Published
- June 2005
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Syracuse, New York, USA
- Item Price
-
A$9.23
Show Details
Description:
Broadway, June 2005. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Very Good+/Very Good+. 8.40 X 5.60 X 0.90 inches Item Price
A$9.23
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession.
by ROMANO, Marc.
- Condition
- Used - Fine in Fine dust jacket
- Published
- 2005
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
- Item Price
-
A$15.38
Show Details
Description:
NY:: Broadway Books,. Fine in Fine dust jacket. 2005. Hardcover. 076791757X . Second printing. Fine in a fine dust jacket. . Item Price
A$15.38
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Marc Romano
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Published
- 2005-06-13
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Item Price
-
A$15.27
Show Details
Description:
Broadway, 2005-06-13. hardcover. Very Good. 5x0x8. Binding tight.Cover clean.Hardcover.Dust Jacket included and in fair condition. No writing, highlighting, or marks in text. Item Price
A$15.27
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Marc Romano
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Published
- 6/14/2005 12:00:01 A
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Item Price
-
A$2.95
Show Details
Description:
Broadway, 6/14/2005 12:00:01 A. hardcover. Very Good. 0.9016 in x 8.4016 in x 5.5984 in. Item Price
A$2.95
Crossworld : One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Romano Marc
- Condition
- As New
- Jacket Condition
- As New
- Published
- 2005
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Wakefield, Rhode Island, USA
- Item Price
-
A$15.38
Show Details
Description:
NY NY: Broadway Books. NEW copy. Fresh tight clean bright strong jacket boards text. No remainder or other markings. Unread copy. . As New. Hardcover. 2005. Item Price
A$15.38
Crossworld : One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Romano, Marc
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Reno, Nevada, USA
- Item Price
-
A$10.91
Show Details
Description:
Broadway Books. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Item Price
A$10.91
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Marc Romano
- Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Near Fine
- Edition
- First.
- Published
- 2005
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Burlington, Ontario, CAN
- Item Price
-
A$12.27
Show Details
Description:
Broadway, 2005. First. . Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. pp.238 with index clean tight copy p.111& 2,3.4 lower right corner cut diagonally Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall
Item Price
A$12.27
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Romano, Marc
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780767917582
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Frederick, Maryland, USA
- Item Price
-
A$6.88
Show Details
Description:
Broadway. Used - Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Item Price
A$6.88
Crossworld : One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Romano, Marc
- Condition
- Used - Fine
- Edition
- Advance Uncorrected Proof
- Published
- 2005
- Binding
- Trade Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Woodlawn, Illinois, USA
- Item Price
-
A$10.75
Show Details
Description:
New York: Broadway Books, 2005. Advance Uncorrected Proof . Trade Paperback. Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Bound Galley.
Item Price
A$10.75
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Romano, Marc
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780767917582
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
- Item Price
-
A$14.78
Show Details
Description:
Paperback. Very Good. Item Price
A$14.78
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Marc Romano
- Condition
- Used:Good
- Published
- 2005-06-14
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
HOUSTON, Texas, USA
- Item Price
-
A$44.20
Show Details
Description:
Broadway, 2005-06-14. Hardcover. Used:Good. Item Price
A$44.20
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Marc Romano
- Condition
- Used:Good
- Published
- 2006-06-13
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780767917582
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
HOUSTON, Texas, USA
- Item Price
-
A$36.67
Show Details
Description:
Three Rivers Press, 2006-06-13. Paperback. Used:Good. Item Price
A$36.67
Cross World
by Romano, Marc
- Condition
- Used - Collectible - Very Good/Good
- Edition
- First Printing
- Published
- 2005
- Binding
- Hard Cover
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
OCEANSIDE, California, USA
- Item Price
-
A$46.07
Show Details
Description:
Broadway. Collectible - Very Good/Good. 2005. First Printing. Hard Cover. (C198) . Item Price
A$46.07
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Romano, Marc
- Condition
- New
- Published
- 2006-06-13
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780767917582
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Fairfax Station, Virginia, USA
- Item Price
-
A$23.07
Show Details
Description:
Harmony, 2006-06-13. Paperback. New. Item Price
A$23.07
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Romano, Marc
- Condition
- Like New
- Published
- 2006-06-13
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780767917582
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Fairfax Station, Virginia, USA
- Item Price
-
A$20.36
Show Details
Description:
Harmony, 2006-06-13. Paperback. Like New. Item Price
A$20.36
Crossworld: One Man's Journey Into America's Crossword Obsession
by Romano, Marc
- Condition
- Used - Fine copy in fine dust jacket
- Edition
- 1st
- Published
- 2005
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Pittsford, New York, USA
- Item Price
-
A$11.54
Show Details
Description:
New York: Broadway Books. Fine copy in fine dust jacket. 2005. 1st. hardcover. 8vo, 238 pp. . Item Price
A$11.54
Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Marc Romano
- Condition
- New
- Published
- 2005-06-14
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
San Diego, California, USA
- Item Price
-
A$94.70
Show Details
Description:
Broadway, 2005-06-14. Hardcover. New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! Item Price
A$94.70
Crossworld
by Romano, Marc
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780739463505
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Frederick, Maryland, USA
- Item Price
-
A$8.97
Show Details
Description:
Broadway. Used - Good. Good condition. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains. Item Price
A$8.97
Crossworld : One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession
by Marc Romano
- Condition
- As New
- Published
- 2005
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767917575
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Seattle, Washington, USA
- Item Price
-
A$12.27
Show Details
Description:
Broadway Books, 2005. Hardcover. As New. Disclaimer:Pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed. Item Price
A$12.27