Why do word puzzles fascinate us? How do they help develop problem-solving skills? How do they teach us about geography, literature, sports, and popular culture? How are they an international language?Jonathan Berkowitz offers a brief history of wordplay, with insights into puzzles and the brain. He offers tips on how to solve puzzles and explains the educational value of puzzles. Challenges in the form of rebuses, anagrams, codes and cryptograms, crosswords, and wordplay with numb...

Tales from the Word Guy is a collection of essays adapted from the author’s segments on CBC Radio One’s North by Northwest. Jonathan Berkowitz takes the reader on a delightful journey through the history, idiosyncrasies, and sheer pleasures of the English language.He covers how English evolved and expanded over the centuries. And he reminds us of long-forgotten aspects of how to use the language properly. You will chuckle at how it is used improperly, often with amusing results.